Police successfully utilize ‘Silver Alert’ Emergency Notification System
On Sunday, April 19, Sanibel Police responded to a call of a missing 77-year-old Sanibel woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s.
During the course of the investigation, the Sanibel Police Department activated the State of Florida’s A Child Is Missing Program (A.C.I.M.), who issued a “Silver Alert” for the missing woman.
The Silver Alert program, which is patterned after the State’s Amber Alert system, is a grant-funded program designed to find missing persons who suffer from cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Information was received in response to the Silver Alert, from a member of the public which led to the successful location of the missing woman within one hour of the Alert being issued.
“The A.C.I.M. Program enabled the Sanibel Police Department to quickly resolve a serious safety concern,” said Bill Tomlinson, Sanibel Police Chief. “When dealing with a missing person, getting the word out quickly through alerts such as the Silver Alert, is key to a successful recovery. We are especially grateful to the member of the public who contacted us with information in response to the Alert which enabled us to safely and successfully reunite family members.”
Source: City of Sanibel