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New Paltz, NY – A system will soon be in place in New York, which will help in the search for missing, vulnerable adults. WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Greg Fry spoke with one supporter of the state's newest law...
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed off on the Gold Alert program Monday. Comparisons have been made to the Amber Alert system, which allows for public alerts when police receive a report about a child abduction.
With the Gold Alert program, the same types of public alerts will be sent out, except the focus will be on cognitively impaired individuals, like those, for example, who suffer from Alzheimer's.
Elaine Sproat heads the Hudson Valley/Rockland/Westchester chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Chapters from across the state had lobbied for such a measure to be adopted in New York. She says the measure will help a number of New Yorkers, but highlights the need for such a program to help keep those with Alzheimer's safe. Sproat says about 60 percent of people with Alzheimer's do wander away at some time during their illness.
The idea isn't a new one. More than half the states in the US have a similar kind of alert system. In 2009, Connecticut adopted a Silver Alert program, and last year, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed off on that state's alert system. Whether the name is Gold or Silver Alert, the systems are widely considered a success.
Sproat says the need to expand the program to all states is there. She says while most vulnerable adults wander away short distances from home, some do make it much farther.
Sproat says sometimes, people will take public transportation, or even in the early stages of the disease, will drive to another location. She says the problems touch people across the disease spectrum.
Some in New York are already ahead of the game. Similar programs are in place on Long Island and in New York City. In Rockland County, in the lower Hudson Valley, officials adopted a Silver Alert program back in 2009. If the situation is deemed to warrant a Silver Alert, officers in the county then distribute the person's name, photograph, age, a physical description, the last location where they were seen, previous addresses where the person may have lived, and the description of any motor vehicle the person may be driving or traveling in.
New York's law is based off of legislation introduced by two Syracuse area lawmakers. They cite the example of a Syracuse woman with Alzheimer's, who, in 2007, traveled all the way to Connecticut. Police weren't notified until the woman made it to her former home in New Haven.
Sproat explains how these types of cases of missing adults are becoming more prevalent. She says people are living longer, and brings up a growing aging population. She applauds the education and prevention aspects of the Gold Alert law.
Under the new Gold Alert law, a toll-free twenty-four hour hotline will be established. Law enforcement across the state will also receive training. The measure will take effect in 90 days.
Massachusetts Silver Alert Program