(Otero County, CO) -- Otero County Commissioners aligned themselves to get ready in case there’s a need to apply for a grant this year. At Monday's meeting, County Administrator Amy White Tanabe explained that she’s applying for the Persons Who Wander Grant. The grant funds search and rescue equipment and provides training. White Tanabe further explained to the commissioners that she wanted to be ready if Sheriff Shawn Mobley needed the funds. The county has applied for the grant before, and it’s funded much-needed search and rescue equipment like drones and thermal imaging. All three commissioners voted in favor of it.
In a news release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), law enforcement agencies were encouraged to apply for the grant to help recover people who may have wandered.
From January to August this year, the agency issued 47 Senior Alerts for the elderly. Legislation in 2022 created the Persons Who Want Grant, which provides $90,000 to help local police departments and sheriff’s offices with recovery programs. The grant can pay for training, equipment, and technology costs.
The application deadline is November 29th, and the funding decisions are set to be announced in mid-December.
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