The Jacksonville Police Department met with community members Wednesday morning during its first Coffee with a Cop event of the year at Dunkin’ on Western Boulevard.
While officers answered questions and connected with residents over coffee, they also highlighted two proactive programs designed to help protect vulnerable members of the community before emergencies happen.
One of those initiatives is the department’s CARE Program. The program is designed to check in on elderly residents who may live alone. Families can sign up their loved ones to receive a daily phone call at a time of their choosing.
Participants simply answer the call and confirm they are okay. If the call is not answered, dispatchers attempt to make additional contact. If they are still unable to reach the individual, officers are sent to the residence to check on them in person.
“Every day, they can choose what time of day they’ll get a phone call,” said Officer Taylor Retter with Jacksonville PD’s Community Engagement Unit. “If they miss that phone call, our dispatchers try to call them, and if they don’t answer, we go to their house to make sure they’re OK.”
Police say the CARE Program is free and meant to provide peace of mind to families while offering an added layer of safety for elderly residents.
The department also promoted its Help Me Home Program. That initiative allows families to voluntarily provide law enforcement with important information about a loved one who may have special needs, memory loss or a history of wandering.
Information can include medical conditions, behavioral patterns and places the individual frequently visits. Officers say having that information ahead of time can significantly reduce response time if someone goes missing.
“If they have a history of running away, do they like to go near water? Do they go to a certain family member’s house? Do they do it at nighttime?” Retter said. “It just gives us that information. If something were to happen, it gives us a head start on where to start looking.”
Police say the Help Me Home Program is open to all ages, including children with special needs and elderly residents with dementia.
The Coffee with a Cop event ran from 9 to 11 a.m. at Dunkin’ on Western Boulevard. Jacksonville police will also be at Target on Thursday to share information about the programs.
Officials say both initiatives are designed to strengthen relationships with the community and help ensure loved ones are located safely and quickly in the event of an emergency.