Fort Bend County’s ‘Take Me Home’ Program Gives Families Peace of Mind; Plan if Lost

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

August 29, 2024

By Natalie Cook Clark

Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office offers residents a free program designed for families to register loved ones with cognitive disabilities such as autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Down Syndrome. This program can save valuable time if a person is ever missing.

In December 2020, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office launched a program aimed to help residents with cognitive disabilities such as autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Down Syndrome. Since then, the “Take Me Home” initiative has helped police officers to better understand and communicate with these residents.

Free for All

The “Take Me Home” program is free and available to any Fort Bend County resident. It is made possible thanks to the IT Department and secured by a military cloud. It is simple to register online and is also easy to update as needed. While the hope is that the program is never needed, it gives Katy area families and the officers who serve them peace of mind.

“It shouldn’t take a tragedy to bring attention to a free program that can help local families,” says Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Matthew Hricko, the founder of "Take Me Home. “It’s not an issue of if a loved one with a cognitive disability will roam off but when.”

Sgt. Hricko says that this program gives families a blanket of security. When a loved one is missing seconds count and it takes time to get descriptions and information. With “Take Me Home,” those completing the registration can be as detailed as they want.

In addition to physical descriptions, many families will include a loved one’s favorite interests including local parks or lakes.

Fort Bend County has close to a million residents. It is believed that 3% of the population has a cognitive disabilities such as autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Down Syndrome.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 out of 10 people living with dementia roam from their homes.

Enroll Online

Currently 457 Fort Bend County citizens are enrolled in the program. Family members can easily enroll online. Enrolled individuals’ range in ages from 2-90 years old.

“It’s not an issue of if a loved one with a cognitive disability will roam off but when,” says Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Matthew Hricko, the founder of "Take Me Home."

Sgt. Hricko has been with the department for 18 years and understands the importance of such a program.

“I used to babysit a boy and he was non-verbal and on the spectrum,” says Sgt. Hricko.

Stephen, the boy Hricko used to watch, is now in his thirties. He was the first individual to register for the “Take Me Home” program when it debuted in 2020.

“It just takes someone taking a nap or turning their back for a moment and then someone can be out, roaming the streets,” says Sgt. Hricko.

To date the program hasn’t come into play during an actual search, but FBCSO has located multiple missing individuals who then they assisted in registering with the program. If a similar event occurs, Take Me Home will be ready to assist.

“You never know when something you say will get another person to register that may end up saving a life,” says Sgt. Hricko. “This story and telling people about ‘Take Me Home’ could save lives.”

“Take Me Home” teams up with local nonprofits, like Hope for Three for safety events and educational sessions. Follow them on Facebook for information and event details. The next event is coming up September 21, 2024.

Register and learn more about “Take Me Home” online. For further information reach out to Sergeant Matthew Hricko at 832-473-1286.

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