CHICOPEE - State police unveiled a new tracking system Monday designed to quickly locate those with cognitive issues who are prone to wander - say for example, an autistic child or an adult with dementia.



The SafetyNet system by Lo-Jack provides subscribers with a special bracelet that specially-trained troopers can rapidly hone in on with special equipment.



The system can even be used on state police helicopters. "You can now come out to a very remote area and cover a large amount of area very quickly," Lt. Col. Timothy Alben, of East Longmeadow, recently sworn in as superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.



State police demonstrated the unit at Chicopee State Park. A state trooper, outfitted with the bracelet, took off into the woods and a second trooper, Adam J. Leonczyk, tracked him down within a short time.



"It can find a person with pin-point accuracy and hopefully find them before they get into a life-threatening situation," said Lt. Robert Leverone, commander of the state police Special Emergency Response Team which has trained on the equipment.



The system, which the state police have been using for eight or nine months now, has already logged in some notable successes - including last May when it tracked down an elderly Marshfield man suffering from cognitive issues in about 30 minutes.



"What originally sometimes took days can now take place in far less time," said Leverone, adding that the system, along with the potential to save lives, saves money and resources as well.



"It gives parents peace of mind," said Susan Loring, director of the Autism Resource Center of Central Massachusetts. "It gives kids a measure of safety if they wander."



The training and the equipment for the SafetyNet system are provided to state police at no charge, said Scott Martin, director of the Law Enforcement SafetyNet Division for LoJack.



Although the system, which includes a special antenna and hand-held device carried by the searcher, looks hi-tech, the basic radio technology behind it has been around since World War ll, Martin said.



Subscribers pay a $99 start-up fee and $30 a month for the service. Funding sources, for those who can't afford the service, are available through a number of programs and organizations, including the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism Martin said.



For more information on the system, go to LoJackSafetyNet.com or call 1-877-434-6384.

