Relevance for Police Services

Benefits for the Police

1. Easy and efficient access to the relevant data required to initiate a search or identify missing 'at risk' individuals. The aim is to speed up response time and maximise the utilisation of Police resources.  

2. Access to up-to-date information. All database information is updated every 6 months by Applied Aged Care Solutions (AACS). Note, registrants can also make more frequent updates-weekly if necessary. 

3. A high quality and durable system that does not incur costs for the Police to use or maintain.

4. A Memorandum of Understanding to provide security to the Police (and other peaks) regarding the maintenance of the program and arrangements for its usage. This agreement also provides security to registrants (carers) that the Police and AACS will adhere to the Privacy Legislation and only use the information for the Safe Return Home system. To this end, AACS has already developed a detailed Privacy Policy and Consent Form that exceeds all requirements of all state and Commonwealth legislation.

5. Remote access.If Police personnel are in locations away from their main systems, the data in the Safe Return Home Internet Database can still be viewed. AACS will provide the Police with a special username and password set-up administration system. Effectively, this procedure enables the Safe Return Home system to be a truly state-wide & national service. The Police can also view information on interstate persons who may be missing.

System Specifics

1. System

   The project involves the development of a secure 'public' internet and Police internet or intranet software system (depending on Police Department preference).  The system will include the provision of a bracelet and ID, if desired by carers.  The system is provided and maintained free of cost to the Police. Police will not be required to do any data entry of client details they will only enter information related to their policing work.  

2. Registration

• Carers, aged care facilities, respite providers and others concerned about a person with dementia who may wander will register the person on the system (after approval of carers).

• Carers & parents of children with developmental disabilities will also be able to enter details of the person at risk.

• People can be added onto the system via a completion of a mailed application form or via an online registration system (provided after 6 months operation).

• A recent colour photo is required that allows a full length and face image (the image will be high quality and allow magnification).

• The information on registrants will also include the history of any relevant behaviour previous incidents (dates/times), where the person was located.

• Optionally, the system will provide information on the persons medical practitioner, critical health conditions and medications, level of memory and disorientation, independent living skills capabilities, any behaviours of concern and suggested management approaches.

  Registration details (photo, demographics, previous episodes and contact information) will be updated every 6 months via contact with the carer.

• The registration is under the control of carers - they provide the information they want and can edit this via the private area of the 'public' website. Carers will have access to their relative's details only.  Registration cost - annual and affordable, bracelet is an extra cost.

3. Identification Process

   • A carer can alert police immediately if a person of concern is missing.

   • If a member of the public believes they have found a person who is lost and disoriented, they can contact police. 

   • State-wide (or Australia-wide), local area, special police district or individual alerts can be distributed for missing persons from the internet site via fax, email, or the Police radio control section.

   • The public part of the system will be accessed via the internet. All persons currently listed as missing will be displayed on the opening search screen if relatives approve this listing.

   • The system will deliver fast identification for registered persons via this system due to the immediate access to required information.

4. Role of AACS

   The AACS tasks would briefly involve:

   • Designing the system to meets the needs of state Police Departments.  

   • Liaising with all stakeholders (agencies that are in contact with people in the 'at risk' category  - the Alzheimer's Association, Carers Association., Aged Care Assessment Services, Aged Psychiatry teams, Memory Assessment services, Aged Care Facilities, Retirement villages etc) to collect referrals and appropriate information.

   • Collection of registration forms, data entry, liaising with registrants, scanning photos, maintaining data integrity.

     Promote the service, assist agencies with information related to the service, provide brochures, presentations as required.

   • Advertise the system via the internet, brochures and the media.

   • Provide reports to stakeholders.

5. Business functionality of the system

   1. Type of Data Held

      The data is comprised of information typically collected for (i) Police missing persons systems (AACS reviewed data sets from the Tasmanian, New South Wales and Victorian police data sources) and (ii) information that carers of people 'at risk' feel is important to help with the location of their relatives. 

   2. Where the data comes from and data quality checks

      Carers of people at risk will complete the required information via these forms and send them to AACS for data entry in the main system database.  At this point we will check the information required and check back with carers if the information is unclear or is missing.   This will ensure that data quality is high from the beginning.

   3. How often it is refreshed

      Data will also be kept up-to-date by the following approaches:

      1. carers can contact AACS at any time via the 1800 number, fax or email to update information on the database.

      2. an internet entry and edit capacity will be built into the system later this year to allow online access for carers to the details of their 'person at risk'.

      3. A further undertaking is that AACS will follow-up with all the carers of all persons listed on the system every 6-months to update the details. 

6. Means of accessing the system

   There are a number of ways that Police can access the system - this depends on the preference of each state. For the internet version there would be direct internet access with password authentication via a browser (Internet Explorer) directly into the secure server.  Users will enter a name and password to log on through their browser onto the live website with a secure 128-bit SSL connection. 

   1. what information is required to set up an account?
      Name, email address and password are the mandatory requirements. We will be driven by any audit requirements for other information to be stored.

   2. are there any additional protocols involved (in addition to http for browsing?)
      To provide secure authentication it is recommended that https (port 443) be supported as well as email. As the method of replication is intended to be batch replication no other protocols are required.

   3. are there any minimum bandwidth requirements for the system to perform adequately?
      The system will be designed to support slow connectivity, 28k or 56k modems would be adequate. Encrypted areas will by necessity be slower to support the encryption.  Performance not dissimilar to bank websites is expected.

   4. what can Police do on the 'Police Only Full Access' area?

      1. do searches on the complete database.

      2. Identify people, find contact details and other information that may help them approach and support people they have found

      3. enter search "update" details to assist police personnel

      4. go to the broadcast area and send a fax or email with summary information (with photo) of the missing person to other police stations/officers. 

7. Security Aspects

   The following discussion covers the security aspects of the system:

   1. Users will have a login and password assigned and be able to update this online.

   2. Verisign SSL encryption technology will be used to encrypt access to sensitive information

      1. SSL ensures that usernames and password are encrypted and not 'cached' on computers.

      2. audit functionality will allow a history of changes to be tracked by person (login) and time of access.