- Police at Avon and Somerset have updated their Dementia Safeguarding Scheme to include Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Tiles so that an individual’s position can be located based on proximity to other phones.
- The system has evolved over 10 years to include thousands of individuals across the UK and other parts of the world.
As RFID and RTLS technology evolves, so has the “Dementia Safeguarding Scheme” in the UK that helps those at risk to connect with family and friends. The system, launched a decade ago, has since expanded geographically and technologically.
The first version of the system, introduced by Avon and Somerset Police Inspector Stuart King in 2015, consisted of GPS tracking devices. The devices were followed by wristbands, and then hangtags on a lanyard, with built-in NFC chips. Individuals or police in the public could identify the individual and help connect them with loved ones or caregivers, by tapping their smartphone’s NFC reader next to the band.
Today, more than 3,500 RFID NFC devices have been provided—free of charge—to people living with dementia in the Avon and Somerset Police (Southwest of England) region.
Information for Police
When vulnerable people go missing, the police are usually the first to be called in to help. King recalled cases of individuals with dementia following old memories to a place that no longer existed. When police find an individual who was not reported missing, they may also be challenged finding out their identity and who their loved ones are.
So other police forces and agencies have been adopting the early-version system that consists of a wristband that can access key digital information about the wearer from the device.
It’s a non-profit effort, and all devices are provided through external partnership with outside businesses, said King, directorate of the chief of staff at police and fire headquarters.
Transitioning from Passive to Active System
The first version was passive, meaning individuals would need to tap their phone against the wristband or badge to access data about the individual. The technology incorporates tracking capabilities of the GPS device along with NFC data encoded on the NFC chip.
Now, the Bluetooth tracking Tile leverages app Life360 which helps families and friends locate each other in a more active format. It also includes a QR code so that users can access information via a scan.
The battery-powered Tile (similar to an Apple AirTag) is trackable via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and connects to Life360’s global network of over 76 million smartphones. When the Tile comes into range of any phone running the Life360 or Tile app, their location is updated in the database, said King.
Users can wear the Tile attached to a belt, purse or in a wallet. It has a transmission a range of 100 to 500 feet. The tile typically operates with a three-year battery life. Users can employ the QR code to program it using the related instructions. When scanned, the code displays details about the wearer and their next of kin. The location data is visible only to the registered user or next of kin.
How it Works
With confirmed consent, the next of kin can then go to a participating police agency website and enroll in the system. They first complete a document called ‘The Herbert Protocol,’ in which they record key information including the wearer’s former home addresses, places of work, places they may frequent, physical description and photograph.
That content is available to police if the registered person was reported missing.
At the end of the Herbert Protocol form, there is an order form where a Tile device can be requested free of charge. These include a choice of NFC wristbands, hangtags, a lanyard and the Tile Bluetooth tracking device.
Thousands of Participants
Overall, the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme now has nearly 2,000 people registered, including about 500 of the Bluetooth Tiles allocated out to new and existing members. The rest are passive RFID wristbands. In October 2022, Avon and Somerset Police were recognized by the Bristol Dementia Action Alliance charity and awarded Silver Status as a Proud Dementia Aware Organization. King was joint winner of the National Alzheimer’s Society Awards for his Research and Innovation into Dementia.
In 2024 research by Norwich Medical School led by professor Michael Hornberger, the system was found to reduce missing persons incidents based on tracing the data from 846 individuals using the system. Analysis found that the system reduces the number of missing incidents in people with dementia.
For King, there is satisfaction in having the technology in use, if only to more quickly locate a vulnerable person and reunite them with their relatives or caregivers.
“I am proud to have been able to assist many other police forces, charities and local authorities adopt the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland,” he said, adding that due to media coverage and public speaking, “there has also been a lot of interest from U.S.-based Police Departments.”
Protecting the Most Vulnerable
The system today is in use by (among others) police in Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, as well as in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The Dementia Safeguarding Scheme is helping to safeguard some of our most vulnerable members of society, King said. “From a policing perspective our finite resources are able to focus on other areas of policing,” he added.
In the long term, King said, “I would like to find an affordable and accurate GPS solution which has a long-life battery similar to Tile—over three years—and has an ease of use for end-users.” Such a GPS device would not require a Bluetooth connection with other devices in its proximity.
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