CBI Awards $89,141 to 7 Colorado Agencies for Drones, GPS Tracking and Search Technology

Description: The Colorado Bureau of Investigation awarded $89,141 in Persons Who Wander grants to seven agencies for drones, GPS tracking, search technology and training...

Persons Who Wander Grant Awards $89,141 to 7 Law Enforcement Agencies

August 18, 2026 – CBI –  Lakewood, CO –The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is pleased to announce that it has awarded a total of $89,141 to seven different law enforcement and search and rescue agencies across Colorado. These Persons Who Wander grants will be used to support wanderer recovery programs, including tracking technology, searching technology, community outreach, and training, helping to improve search and rescue efforts for individuals who wander.

"By investing in these technologies to aid in searches, we are empowering our local partners to respond more effectively when time is of the essence," said Armando Saldate, Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. "This grant program is a vital step in ensuring that our most vulnerable community members are protected and can be reunited with their families as quickly as possible." 

In 2025, CBI issued 64 Senior Alerts, and 10 Developmentally Disabled Alerts which was more than one-third of all alerts issued statewide and more than all the Amber, Medina and Missing Endangered alerts combined.

The following law enforcement agencies received grants:

• Jackson County Sheriff's Office: $13,300 for two drones, training, travel, and office supplies
• Archuleta County Sheriff's Office: $3,120 for four wearable GPS tracking devices
• Chaffee County SAR (North): $19,631 for two drones, batteries, software, training, and license test
• Estes Park Police Department: $8,897 for a drone and pilot certification courses
• Grand County Sheriff's Office: $14,896 for a drone, drone battery, and bluetooth signal detection device
• Kit Carson County Sheriff's Office: $19,297 for drone technology package, implementation costs, drone software license, and drone data plan
• Erie Police Department: $10,000 for searching technology, tracking technology, and training

Since the Persons Who Wander program's inception in 2022, the CBI has awarded $264,132 to 23 distinct applicants across Colorado.

For more information about the Persons Who Wander program to help locate individuals with cognitive or medical conditions please visit our website. 

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