Feature on Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office app to help families find missing loved ones

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has a program known as “Take Me Home.”

Through CCSO’s app, they allow families to add pictures and information of loved ones if they ever get lost or go missing. This information helps deputies know where to go.

Tammy Wilkie is the community affairs specialist for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Wilkie says just this week, the app helped a family in Southwest Florida.

“The assisted living facility or the nursing home called and said they were looking for him, North Port PD was looking for him, the wife’s driving around looking for him. Now, moments later found, discovered, reunited with his wife,” said Wilkie.

“Done! And, you know, we can take days sometimes as you’re trying to discover who someone is, where they belong. This aides the deputy and they love it,” Wilkie said.

Wilkie said this program is successful because it spreads information quickly across the county. She said it’s like pre-registering for a disaster.

“With the Take Me Home Program we can blast photos of everyone out into the county. So, all of our deputies are now looking for someone with a photo. They’re looking and they know what they’re looking for,” said Wilkie.

Currently, there are 130 people enrolled in the program. The youngest person is 4-years-old and the oldest is 97-years-old. The program is designed to help family members of people with memory loss and or intellectual disabilities.

This app is free.