New tool locates missing persons

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - A new tool is helping Massachusetts State Police find missing persons.

SafetyNet, by LoJack, is a bracelet that uses radio frequency transmissions to locate people with cognitive disorders, such as Down Syndrome, Alzheimer's, or Autism.

Susan Loring has an autistic son who used to wander off frequently when he was young.

"I know from personal experience the panic, the absolute stress you feel when a child wanders off.  A child with Autism cannot respond, does not speak when you call his name," said Loring.

SafetyNet has been used in other areas of the state, but Western Massachusetts was never covered, until now.

A partnership between LoJack and the State Police will cover the entire state.

The frequency is so exact that police will be able to track a person five to seven miles by air and one mile on the ground to the exact location they are standing.

"This will change the way we approach missing persons cases dramatically.  It will reduce the number of individuals we have to send out to locate a missing person. It's also going to reduce time to find these people," said Lt. Robert Leverone, the Commander of the Special Emergency Response Team.

For more information on SafetyNet by LoJack, visit their website at www.lojack.com