GO 532.1520 - Return Me Safe Program

SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 532.15 Page 1 of 2 532.15 RETURN ME SAFE 12-13-2024 PURPOSE The purpose of this o rder is to establish procedures for the use of the Return Me Safe Program . POLICY It shall be the policy of the Sacramento Police Department (SPD) that employees shall utilize the Return Me Safe Program to assist when responding to calls for service involving vulnerable community members . PROCEDURE A. DEFINITIONS 1. RETURN ME SAFE PROGRAM – A voluntary and confidential community service provided by SPD for vulnerable persons who work, live, attend school, or receive treatment within the City of Sacramento. 2. VULNERABLE PERSON – A person who may exhibit behaviors that require special considerations because of a medical condition, cognitive disorder (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, traumatic brain injury), developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome), mental health disorder, or physical condition. B. GENERAL 1. The Return Me Safe program is designed to assist SPD employees when handling calls for service involving vulnerable persons who may have an increased risk of wandering, becoming lost, or difficulty communicating their immediate needs. 2. The program provides family members , guardians, and caregivers with a registry to share a vulnerable person’s information with SPD . 3. The registry is designed to contain information o f a vulnerable person, including but not limited to: a. Physical descriptors, home address , and occupation. b. Recent photograph. c. Methods of communication and preferred contact approaches . d. Contact information of persons that can assist with a vulnerable person. C. USE OF THE RETURN ME SAFE PROGRAM 1. Registration: a. Family members , guardians, or care givers of vulnerable persons can register for an account by using the Return Me Safe portal of the SPD website . b. The information contained in the Return Me Safe registry is confidential and shall only be u tilized in accordance with this order . c. The registrant must update the information (including a photograph) every three years for continued participation. d. Unless withdrawn beforehand, the SPD shall retain registry information for no more than three years. 2. Use by SPD Employees: a. The Return Me Safe program and its information shall only be utilized to: (1) Handle calls for service involving a registered vulnerable person. (2) Promote effective and safe interactions with a vulnerable person. (3) Return a vulnerable person home or to a responsible person. b. All SPD employees are prohibited from sharing any vulnerable person’s Return Me Safe information with the public unless explicit permission is provided by the vulnerable person or registrant. c. The Return Me Safe registry is a separate and secure database that is not linked to the SPD SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS GO 532.15 Page 2 of 2 Records Management System ( RMS ). However, a records check of a registered vulnerable person shall display a record flag identifying the person as a “RETURN ME SAFE” vulnerable person. (1) The record flag will contain a Return Me Safe program identification number and hyperlink to the Return Me Safe database. (2) The SPD employees may utilize the identification number or hyperlink to access the Return Me Safe database for a vulnerable person’s information.