A Collaboration Between:
Project Background and Purpose
ElderSource is proud to announce its launch of The Pepper Project, a public safety initiative designed to protect vulnerable individuals at risk of going missing. Named after its vital resource, Pepper, a year-and-a-half-old bloodhound, the project aims to assist the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in locating missing persons with special needs such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, or autism who are at risk of wandering from home.
To ensure the success of the initiative, in addition to sponsoring Pepper, ElderSource has coordinated the purchase of scent kits for people living with dementia or intellectual and developmental disabilities and partnered with the City of Jacksonville’s Registry for Endangered, Vulnerable, and Missing Persons (R.E.VA.M.P Duval).
Caregivers can collect and store their loved one’s unique smell in the scent kits, enabling Pepper and other trained K-9s to locate individuals with greater speed and accuracy when they wander from home. The search and rescue process is also expediated through completion of the R.E.V.A.M.P Duval registry, which allows the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to quickly access critical information on the missing person. They will know the missing persons communication needs, medical diagnosis, behavior traits and more so they can approach each unique missing persons case with the appropriate response.
The combination of the new K-9, preserved scent kits, and Registry for Endangered, Vulnerable, and Missing Persons will significantly enhance law enforcement’s ability to recover individuals who may wander due to cognitive or sensory disabilities.
Community Partners
The Pepper Project is a collaborative community effort between ElderSource, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Registry for Endangered, Vulnerable and Missing Persons (R.E.V.A.M.P) in Duval County. The endeavor is also supported by a generous grant from Baptist Health, coordination with The Arc Jacksonville and the private company Scent Evidence K9.
How the Pepper Project Will Operate
- The Pepper Project partners will work together to inform citizens of the benefit of participating in the R.E.V.A.M.P Duval program — Registry for Endangered, Vulnerable, and Missing Persons within Duval County. This is a voluntary identification program that aids in the safe return of individuals with cognitive, memory impairment or sensory disabilities who may go missing. The program is free.
- R.E.V.A.M.P is HIPAA and CJIS-protected, ensuring the information is confidential and only used in case the individual goes missing.
- The project partners will offer the easy-to-use Scent Evidence Kits at no cost to families wishing to register their loved one’s vital information in a database accessed by First Responders and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office in the event the individual gets lost or goes missing. Guided by the JSO and trained professionals, the person’s unique odor will be swiped, sealed and stored by the family, and the individual’s profile will be protected and retained in the JSO database.
- If a person goes missing, the critical scent and data will be available to JSO and First Responders, who will then utilize Pepper or another designated K-9 to search and bring the loved one to safety.
Obtaining a Scent Kit
Scent Evidence kits will be offered free to the public. Caregivers have three options to obtain a kit:
- Call ElderSource at 904-892-6606 to make an appointment at our office located at 10688 Old St. Augustine Road. The person living with dementia must be present.
- Call The ARC Jacksonville at 904-355-0155 to make an appointment.
- Register for R.E.V.A.M.P (Registry for Endangered, Vulnerable, and Missing Persons) Duval program to obtain a kit through the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Please note, at this time scent kits are only available to those living in Duval County. If you live outside of Duval County, please contact your local sheriff’s office to learn more about available resources.
