19/01/2026
🚓Durham Constabulary has launched a new safety scheme to help protect people living with dementia who may go missing.
The ‘dementia wristband’ initiative involves distributing 1,000 bright yellow wristbands and tags, each embedded with digital information. When tapped with a mobile phone, the bands display key details including the person’s name, address, and emergency contact.
The scheme links to the Herbert Protocol—a national plan that supports families and carers in providing vital info to police when a vulnerable person goes missing.
Durham PCSO Jess Brown, who leads the project, says the wristbands offer “peace of mind” for both individuals and their families, while also reducing pressure on police resources.
Those already signed up to the Herbert Protocol will be prioritised in receiving the bands, before a wider public rollout.
💛If you spot someone looking lost and wearing a band, officers ask that you stop and help
