Mangano And Police Foundation Announce Expansion Of R.E.A.C.H. Program

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today joined with the Nassau County Police Department Foundation in announcing the purchase of 5,000 wristbands, lanyards and identification cards to assist officers in identifying individuals registered in the Return Every Adult & Child Home (R.E.A.C.H.) Program. The $6,000 purchase was made possible through a donation from the Foundation.REACH program

County Executive Mangano stated, “The R.E.A.C.H. Program is vitally important as it assists the Nassau County’s Police Department in its efforts to ensure that each adult or child with a cognitive disorder will be returned to their families at a safe and secure location. Together, we can provide the families of this vulnerable population with the tools necessary to safely return their loved ones. I commend the Police Foundation for their generosity and commitment to public safety,” said County Executive Mangano.

The R.E.A.C.H. Program was launched in 2010 to provide law enforcement officials with information and photos of individuals suffering from a cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and autism if they were found to be missing. Individuals register with the R.E.A.C.H. Program and have their information stored in a secure database created by the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD). When law enforcement is notified of a missing loved one, the NCPD can disseminate a photo and pertinent information through the NCPD’s Real Time Intel system.

Wristbands, lanyards and identification cards will be distributed to those individuals who are registered in the R.E.A.C.H. Program so that law enforcement officers can recognize them as members of the program more easily should they go missing.

Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said, “We are very grateful for the support of the NCPD Foundation in helping us re-launch this important program that provides a proactive approach to keeping our most venerable citizens safe. These wristbands, lanyards and ID cards are easily identifiable and will help us quickly locate missing individuals with special needs and return them safely to their families.”

“We are thrilled to support such a wonderful program that protects members of our community. These R.E.A.C.H. identification items will not only help our law enforcement personnel, but they will give families of loved ones who suffer from cognitive disorders additional protection and peace of mind,” said Eric Blumencranz, Chairman of the NCPD Foundation.

The NCPD will host a registration drive for the R.E.A.C.H. program from 9am to 12pm on April 20th at the Police Academy, located at 200 2nd Ave. in Massapequa Park. Wristbands, lanyards and identification cards purchased by the Foundation will be distributed at this time.