ESSEX Police has been using GPS trackers to help find missing elderly people as part of an initiative.

Operation Harrier focuses around keeping people safe and helping people who live with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

The collaborative initiative supplies those living with Alzheimer's and Dementia, who’ve previously been reported as missing, with a GPS device.

The device provides information on an individual’s whereabouts, without being too intrusive.

It creates a “safe zone” and notifies their family or carers if they have travelled outside the zone.

It allows synchronised working between the police, families, carers, and adult social care whilst also reducing the impact of missing persons investigations on the police.

So far, Essex Police say it prevented around 704 missing person incidents, saving the force £1.7 million.

Insp Terry Jacobs, the Operation Harrier lead for the force said: “Missing person reports where there is a direct risk to life remain a priority for Essex Police.

“Whilst we will always prioritise the safeguarding of a vulnerable person, missing persons investigations and mental health related incidents often require the involvement of a lot of officers and other resources which can impact our ability to respond to crimes such as burglaries.

“In 2023, we received 8,412 missing person reports with more than 1,400 deemed to be high risk, meaning they’re considered to be at immediate risk.

“The risk level is defined on a case-by-case basis but if an individual is living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, they are often classified as high risk.

“Op Harrier has already made a difference, preventing more than 700 missing persons episodes so far.

“If each of these episodes had resulted in a high-risk missing person it would have saved up to £1.7 million in police efficiency and allowing officers to continue tackling crime in Essex.

“We understand that it can be extremely challenging for the family of someone living with a medical condition and you may wonder what you can do to keep them safe.

“There are a wide range of technology enabled care solutions on the market such as pendants, Bluetooth tags or GPS monitoring clips which use the mobile phone network which you can purchase if you’re concerned about someone you love putting themselves at risk.”

In 2022, we were called to around 18,000 incidents where mental health was a factor, with nearly 10,000 not involving any criminal activity.