Hempstead, NY (Jan. 19, 2023) – In an effort to support people with neurological issues, Chuck & Carol Palumbo, the executors of The Alfred and Lucille Bronson Foundation, recently donated $25,000 to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation’s Community Investment Fund in support of the Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver Program. Project Lifesaver is a rapid-response program that aids residents and their family members who wander because of cognitive impairments.
The program combines technology and specially trained Sheriff’s deputies to locate individuals who have wandered away from the safety of their homes or loved ones. Project Lifesaver clients wear a “watch-type” wristband transmitter (worn on the wrist, ankle, or as a necklace), which emits a tracking signal.
When a caregiver calls the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver line to report that a client has wandered, a specially trained search team responds to the wanderer’s area and, while enroute, activates their vehicle’s mobile locator tracking system. A hand-held unit is used to search for clients in areas inaccessible by vehicles.
With more than three centuries of continuous service, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is the oldest law enforcement in Suffolk County, N.Y., and has become known as one of the most innovative law enforcement agencies and correctional systems in the country.
This philosophy and approach of Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. was the impetus for the birth of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation in 2020. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office combined its work with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation in order to build a stronger community.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation’s mission is to support community-based programming to reduce incidents of crime and recidivism, improve outcomes for at-risk individuals, and build positive relationships with members of law enforcement.
Toulon notes that the greatest opportunity for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Foundation is to have a positive impact on the community — especially its youth.
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