Hong Kong police are offering free trackers to children with special needs amid a rise in missing cases. Photo: Elson LiHong Kong police are expanding a programme offering free Bluetooth trackers to children with special needs, following a rise in missing cases in Kowloon East.
Teachers and parents from special schools who joined the project said the tracking device could help prevent incidents of missing children and enable them to live independently, while police hoped more families could benefit from the scheme.
“The project can educate families with children of special needs that Bluetooth trackers can make a huge difference,” said Elsa Lei Lan-fa, vice principal of the CCC Kei Shun Special School in Kwun Tong.
The police project previously catered to patients with cognitive disorders and the elderly, with the force distributing 1,800 trackers since the scheme was launched.
Police estimate handing out another 1,700 trackers this year after the eligibility of applicants extended to those with patients with mental disabilities and children who need special education.
Lei said that around 10 students of her school received the free tags under the project, while the other 10 bought similar devices themselves.
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The Kowloon East police revealed that the district recorded a 61.5 per cent rise in the number of missing children requiring special education, from 26 cases in 2022 to 42 in 2023, while the missing cases of those with mentally disabilities also increased from 69 to 79.
When a child goes missing, parents will typically call them to find their whereabouts. But searching for a child with trouble communicating with people around them or explaining their location can be draining.
With the tracker, the positioning device will send a Bluetooth signal to a nearby compatible smartphone. Once connected, the device uses the smartphone’s global satellite positioning system for location tracking. Residents only need to keep their Bluetooth turned on to help locate individuals carrying the trackers.
Lam Yin, the mother of a 16-year-old boy with Down syndrome, said her son once got on the wrong bus and his phone battery died. She could not reach him and had to call police to locate him.
“The tracker will not only prevent my son from going missing but also help him to learn how to live independently,” Lam said.
Previously, Lam rarely allowed her son to go out alone. But, with the tracker, she is willing to let her son navigate the streets independently.
Lam recalled an occasion in which her son called her, saying he could not find the place he wanted to go. Using the tracker, she guided him to his destination with ease.
“For us parents, the tracker is like a tranquilliser. My son also feels less anxious about going out,” said Lam.
The scheme is current only available to residents in the pilot area of east Kowloon. But the force will launch a new network consisting of about 70 institutions, including the social welfare, hospital and housing departments by the end of September.
“Through supporting agencies, such as hospitals and schools, we want to get in touch with those living outside the pilot area,” said Fu Chun-Yip, the chief inspector of the Kowloon East Regional Headquarters.
“We will offer tags to anyone as long as they are in need and have been endorsed by the institution in our association,” Fu said.
Earlier this year, the force revealed that the area recorded a 6 per cent decline in the number of lost dementia sufferers, from 100 in 2022 to 94 in 2023, while the citywide figure increased 24 per cent from 358 to 444 cases.