115 have not yet been found; police formulate project
On a day when other news organs are concerned about disappearing cats, SIC Notícias reports on how as of April this year, 79 old people have gone missing – one from a public hospital.
Over the last six years, almost 1,450 people over the age of 65 have been reported missing. To this day, police still don’t know where 115 of them ended up.
Most are found, either alive and disoriented, or already dead. Thus anything that can avoid the time lag between ‘going missing’ and ‘being found’ has to be recommended.
PSP police do have a solution. It is not ‘new age’; it does not rely on GPS locations or anything fiddly: it is a simple wristband, bearing an alphanumeric code.
Anyone spotting an old person wandering aimlessly, or looking confused, can check for a wristband and dial 112.
By being given the code on the band, police will then be able to be in touch with the people/ person responsible for the missing person, and “quickly promote a family reunion”.
At least, that is the idea. PSP police already have 5,200 bracelets ‘active’ in this project dubbed “Estou aqui adultos” (I am here adults”). According to SIC, “almost 80 people have already been located using this system”.
Anyone can sign up for the programme online, and then pick up a wristband from a PSP police station. ND
Source: SIC Notícias
