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POST outlines new statewide ‘wandering’ guidelines required by recent legislation
Summary
POST staff described a new, standalone set of statewide guidelines for responding to wandering incidents tied to Alzheimer’s, dementia and autism. The guidelines (required by the law cited in the presentation) include operational checklists, four‑phase response planning and technology and community‑awareness measures; POST must deliver final guidelines by 01/01/2026.
POST presented a new set of statewide guidelines aimed at law enforcement responses to wandering by people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and autism, a document staff said was required by recently passed legislation.
Kevin Hatano, a law enforcement consultant with POST’s Management Counseling and Projects Bureau, told the advisory committee the bill (referred to in the presentation as AB 25 41) required POST to develop guidelines and consult broadly with stakeholders; POST staff cited Penal Code language in the presentation (transcript reference: “Penal Code 13 5 15.4”) as the statutory basis. Hatano said the guidelines were produced after a workshop with subject‑matter experts that included detectives, clinicians, CPS dispatchers, social workers and transit partners.
The package POST described includes: behavioral foundations for responding officers; a four‑phase operational framework (call intake/dispatch, patrol and rapid search, investigative activation/expanded search, and long‑term investigation); specific checklists for first responders; guidance for deploying search assets (K‑9, drones, helicopters, SAR); community awareness and prevention campaigns; water‑safety education; and suggested use of voluntary technology solutions and registries (examples cited: AirTags, LA Found, 'Take Me Home' registries) and coordinated alert systems.
Hatano emphasized scalability and non‑regulatory framing: the guidelines “are scalable statewide, impose no physical impact, strengthen officer safety, public safety, and vulnerable person protection, and provide a consistent statewide approach for rapidly growing problem[s],” he said.
Committee members raised resource questions for small agencies—search‑and‑rescue helicopters and other assets can be costly—and POST staff advised shared/regional asset models, mutual aid or activation of state resources (Cal OES) where needed. POST staff also said they could incorporate additional language encouraging MOUs or regional preplanning, and will continue outreach to small agencies during final drafting.
POST said the law requires completion of the guidelines by January 1, 2026, and that work on outreach and learning materials (including a short video) is underway.
Next steps: POST will finalize the guideline text reflecting stakeholder input and return with the final product in advance of the statutory deadline.
