Knoxville Police Department officers successfully located a missing elderly man who reportedly suffers from dementia using license plate reader technology on Tuesday night.
At around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, KPD officers responded to a home on Dandridge Avenue, where it was reported that an 85-year-old man was missing. Reportedly, he was last seen at around 10:30 a.m. that morning and last in contact with his family around 1:30 p.m. Officers were told that the man, who reportedly suffers from dementia, had left home in a gray Ford pickup truck.
Responding officers ran a search for the man’s vehicle through the license plate reader system and, at around 9:15 p.m., it was captured in the Fort Sanders area. A short time later, officers stopped the vehicle on Neyland Drive and escorted him home. Thankfully, the man did not need medical attention and was returned safely to his family.
“This incident showcases how license plate reader technology enhances the public safety capabilities of our department,” Chief Eve Thomas said. “By having this technology at our disposal, we were not only able to quickly and safely locate a missing and endangered resident, but we were able to do so as efficiently as possible.”