PBSO hosts bill signing ceremony with Gov. Rick Scott for Silver Alert

The “Silver Alert” or “Senior Alert” program helps identify and locate missing seniors with cognitive impairments. It has been credited with locating 44 missing seniors in Florida since 2008.

 Gov. Rick Scott was at the office of the Palm Beach County Sheriff June 24 to sign the Silver Alert bill. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw was also on hand along with representatives of law enforcement agencies and the Alzheimer’s Community Care Inc. of Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties.

 Florida’s Silver Alert Plan helps protect the state’s vulnerable senior citizens. Silver Alerts assist local law enforcement in the rescue of a missing elderly person with a cognitive impairment. The alerts broadcast important information via the media and highway message signs to enlist citizens in the search for an endangered senior.

 According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 60 percent of those with Alzheimer’s will wander and become lost at some point. While most who wander do so on foot and are ultimately found within a few miles, those who become lost while driving a vehicle may wander much further from home, underscoring the importance of Silver Alerts.

 Established in 2008 by Executive Order, the majority of Silver Alerts have been issued for individuals recovered outside of the county where they went missing.

 ”The Silver Alert has proven to be an effective way to get vulnerable senior citizens who are missing and possibly in danger back to safety,” Governor Scott said. “I am proud to sign Silver Alerts into law and ensure our state protects elderly Floridians when they need our help.”