The Safe & Found database was developed by WA Police Force, in partnership with MedicAlert Foundation, to assist police to more rapidly locate vulnerable persons living with dementia, autism or a cognitive impairment that increases their chances of going missing.

Having access to information such as ‘lost person behaviour’ or a recent photo of the missing person can make a significant difference to the early stages of a land search operation and improves the chances of finding the missing person.

In 2017 WA Police Force conducted 46 land searches for persons living with dementia who had become lost.

By 2020 that number increased to 78 searches and in 2021 there were 170 searches.

So far to date in 2022 there have already been more than 140 searches for lost persons living with dementia and anticipate this could reach as many as 200 searches by the end of the year.

In the first 12 months of Safe & Found’s operation, more than 20 registered members have been reported missing – that is about 1-in-10 members - and police officers were able to immediately access the critical information needed to assist with the land search operation.

Outcomes from those searches include members of the public recognising a missing person from a ‘Safe & Found’ profile photo released by WA Police Force, and a member of the public identifying a confused person wearing a Safe & Found ID bracelet and alerting WA Police Force to their location.

For more information on the Safe & Found initiative please click the following link: https://www.facebook.com/safeandfound.

To register someone on Safe and Found visit https://www.safeandfound.org.au.