Nearly $90,000 in state grant funding is available to support local governments in finding missing persons.
Applications for the Supporting Recovery Programs Persons Who Wander Grant Program will be accepted from Sept. 2 until Nov. 8.
The program, supported by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), provides grant funding to assist local governments or their designees in locating persons with medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, autism, brain injury, or developmental, cognitive, neurological, or chromosomal disorders by encouraging county sheriffs’ departments, municipalities, and county or municipal designees to establish recovery programs and provide tools that will increase the chances of saving the lives of lost and missing persons.
“After two successful years, the CBI is pleased to announce another cycle of funding under the Persons Who Wander Grant Program. The Bureau recognizes the continued need for recovery resources to assist families with members who wander due to medical or cognitive issues,” said CBI Director Chris Schaefer. “This program has provided resources for Colorado communities to obtain equipment, training and valuable community outreach. We believe these efforts have and will continue to make a significant impact on recovery programs, particularly in our smaller or more rural communities.”
The funding is available to any county, municipality or local law enforcement agency seeking to create a new recovery program or maintain an existing program. The grants could be used in various ways, such as to provide tracking technology resources, personnel training and community outreach efforts.
Law enforcement interested in applying for this grant who have questions should contact CBI Grant Specialist Drake Brownfield at drake.brownfield@state.co.us.
Applications can be submitted at https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/Wander2025.
Senate Bill 22-187, passed during the 2022 Colorado legislative session, expands assistance provided to Colorado families of persons who wander, along with the availability of state-sponsored grants to assist local governments with recovery programs.
The information is housed under the umbrella of the CBI website.