THE DARE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE PROGRAMS

ARE YOU OK?

The Are You OK? program is a free telephone reassurance system that is designed to call the home of the registered individual at a time specified by the individual to insure that the person is OK. The targeted subscribers are the elderly, the handicapped and the home bound to ensure that the individual is well enough to answer the phone. The calls are monitored at Dare Central Communications and if the call is not answered, an alarm is set off to alert the telecommunicator that there is a problem and a law enforcement officer will be sent to the residence to do a well fare check. It is a way to give peace of mind not only for the individual but for their family and friends as well. If you know someone that you think would benefit from this program, please contact the Sheriff’s Office at 475-5980 or e-mail us at shoff@darenc.com to make arrangements for someone to discuss the program with you and to assist you in getting your loved one registered.

911 CELL PHONE BANK

The 911 Cell Phone Bank program was created to provide an ongoing and readily available source of 911 cell phones and funds to meet unexpected and urgent needs of participating law enforcement and affiliated victims services agencies.

The Sheriff's Office has teamed up with The 911 Cell Phone Bank to collect old cell phones in support of victims of abuse and senior citizens. Under the agreement, The Sheriff's Office in an on-going effort will collect used cell phones in the community which will be turned over to the 911 Cell Phone Bank and re-marketed. In return, they will build a bank of phones for emergency use as well as cash which will be used to fund various emergency and community service needs.

Residents who have unused cell phones are encouraged to drop them off at the Sheriff's Office administrative offices in Manteo or call the Sheriff's Office at 252.475.5980 to make an appointment to drop your used phones at either the Hatteras Office or the Colington Office of the Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Rodney Midgett noted that the Sheriff's Office is collecting the phones on behalf of The Outer Banks Hotline and Dare County Department of Social Services so that cell phones can be distributed to victims of domestic abuse and elder abuse.

PROJECT LIFESAVER

Project Lifesaver is a program designed to enhance success at locating missing persons with dementia, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, Down syndrome and other related illnesses. The program involves a pro-active approach to identifying at-risk persons of wandering and attaching a radio transmitter to their wrist or ankle by way of a plastic or nylon wristband. The battery operated transmitter emits an inaudible pulse once per second that can be picked up by a special receiver operated by trained officers. The individuals that are enrolled in the program are visited monthly so that officers may change the batteries and wrist bands. If someone enrolled in the program does wander away, the individual is usually located in less than 30 minutes.

Because this is a nationwide program, for our visitors to the area, if you have someone in your family that is currently enrolled in this program in your home town, simply have your local law enforcement agency contact the Sheriff’s Office so that we can obtain the frequency that is assigned to the subscriber so that you can rest assured that if while you are on vacation and they wander away, they can quickly be located.

If you know someone that you think may benefit from this program, call the Sheriff’s Office at 475-5980 or e-mail us at shoff@darenc.com and we will be happy to assist you in getting your loved one enrolled in the program.

THE BICYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM

Bicycle safety is also highlighted as an important element in the lives of our Dare County youth. The Dare County Sheriff's Office conducts bicycle safety classes throughout Dare County for various schools, churches, and youth-oriented organizations. These classes are designed to focus on teaching children about traffic laws, bicycle safety, the mechanics of bicycle riding, safety equipment, (including helmets, and elbow and knee pads), and bicycle maintenance.

OPERATION MEDICINE DROP

The Dare County Sheriff’s Office has begun a program to help residents dispose of unused or unneeded prescription drugs. Many people have unused medications in their medicine cabinets. Perhaps narcotics or other drugs were prescribed for an illness or a medical procedure but the full prescription was not used.

``We have recognized that there is a need in the county for the safe disposal of prescription drugs in a way that does not harm the environment and also gets these unused drugs out of the household,’’ said Sheriff Rodney Midgett. He explained, “This will also help prevent residents from being targeted by those looking to steal drugs.”

Residents may drop off unused prescription drugs at the Sheriff’s Office in Manteo located in the Dare County Justice Center. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Residents wishing to deliver these items in Colington or Hatteras Island should call (252) 475-5980 to make an appointment. If unable to deliver the items, call to arrange for pickup by a deputy at a business or home location.
For more information, contact the Dare County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 475-5980.