Riley County police have issued a social media statement that said PROJECT: GUARDIANS is a community program designed to help RCPD provide an appropriate and adequate response to members of the community who are unable to communicate or properly identify themselves. They have created an online form which can be found at rileycountypolice.org/guardians so caregivers can now enroll participants with ease.
The program applies to individuals with cognitive disorders, Autism, Alzheimer's, other forms of dementia, children, those who could be found disoriented or acting in a manner that could be misunderstood by emergency responders, and any other community member who may need special assistance in the event they are found alone or have wandered away from home.
PROJECT: GUARDIANS stores information such as a digital picture, personal information, caregiver contact information, ways to communicate with the participant, and special circumstances or obstacles (i.e. participant does not like to be touched or has trigger words) so officers can respond accordingly. Adult participants must agree to participate in the program unless there is a legal guardian able to make decisions on their behalf to enroll them.