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POST develops statewide 'wandering' guidelines under AB; aims to standardize responses for Alzheimer’s, dementia and autism
Summary
POST presented new statewide guidelines required by statute to address wandering associated with Alzheimer’s, dementia and autism. The framework prescribes a four‑phase response, interoperability with transit and hospital partners, use of technology and registries, and a completion deadline of 01/01/2026 per the law, with outreach planned to smaller agencies and regional resource strategies.
POST staff described a new standalone 'wandering' guideline created to satisfy a statutory mandate referenced in the presentation (identified in the transcript as AB 20 25 41 and penal code reference). The guideline expands on existing missing‑persons guidance and adds operational elements to help officers and dispatchers respond to incidents involving individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or autism who may elope or wander.
Kevin Hatano, law enforcement consultant, said the law requires POST to produce guidelines by January 1, 2026, and that POST convened a three‑day workshop with about 16 subject matter experts (juvenile/child crimes detectives, clinicians, social workers, CPS dispatchers and others) to draft the text. Hatano said the guidelines include a behavioral foundations section to help responders recognize dementia‑ and autism‑related behaviors; a four‑phase response framework (call intake/dispatch, patrol initial response/rapid search, investigative activation/expanded search, long‑term investigation); operational checklists for responding officers; and guidance on prevention and public awareness.
Hatano outlined recommended resources and interoperability actions: use of search‑and‑rescue assets, search dogs, drones and helicopters; partnerships with regional centers, hospitals, schools and transit agencies; registries and voluntary tools such as GPS devices and the 'Take Me Home' registry; and alert mechanisms (Silver Alerts, wireless emergency alerts). He noted POST included transit expertise (BART PD) in the workshops to address transportation‑related considerations.
Committee members raised resource equity concerns. Brent Stalker and others representing smaller jurisdictions asked how agencies with limited budgets can feasibly follow the search‑resource prescriptions (for example, helicopter deployment). Hatano and other staff urged use of regional shared assets, mutual‑aid agreements and state resources (OES) where local capability is limited, and said the guidelines are intentionally scalable.
Hatano said POST’s Learning Technology Resources Bureau produced short educational videos (3–5 minute segments) to accompany the guidelines. The guidelines, staff said, are intended to strengthen officer and public safety, impose no physical infrastructure requirement, and be adaptable statewide.
What’s next: POST staff said they will continue stakeholder engagement and finalize the guidelines to meet the statutory timeline; committee members encouraged adding explicit language to promote MOUs, mutual aid and awareness of state resources for smaller agencies.
