SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Earlier in March, Meredith Groff’s phone buzzed hundreds of miles away from San Diego in Pennsylvania.
“I got the most dreaded phone call that you could ever imagine,” Groff said.
It was a phone call from her mother about her father, Rodney Angus, who is experiencing dementia.
“Saying he didn’t make it home from running out to the bank,” Groff said. “And I also felt helpless; I was out in Pennsylvania like how am I even supposed to get my dad.”
The former police dispatcher called the San Diego Police Department to report her father missing.
Angus was last seen on March 6 and officially reported missing on March 7. Thanks to the help of Smart Streetlights, SDPD located him and reunited him with his family the same day.
Last week, we reached out for help to find Rodney, who had been missing for nearly 24 hours. Thanks to your support and our cutting-edge technology, we have good news to share.
— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) March 12, 2024
“We got it into the system about noon,” said Lt. Charles Lara with SDPD. “With the ability to have a plate and a vehicle, we can feed that into what’s called a hot list. So, wherever that vehicle hits on a plate reader, we’re able to find that vehicle. Within eight, nine hours that vehicle being placed in the system, he found.”
A moment that was made with the help of technology.
"This case shows the other side that it's just not criminal apprehensions but it's the location of an at risk loved one and making that reunification in a much more timely fashion,” Lara said.
It made Groff’s worst nightmare a moment of pure joy.
“They did such an excellent awesome job and, you know, just…I get goosebumps,” Groff said.
But the technology helping find Groff’s father raises concerns for some people.
Those like Seth Hall from Trust SD Coalitionhave concerns with the smart streetlights and other technology when it comes to oversight.
"The question is what about all of the rest of information that's being sucked up?" Hall said. "What are we doing with that information the rest of the time? What about the information that's sucked up maybe when police misbehave?"
ABC 10News asked Lara about the concerns that some have with the technology.
“We are impacting in the way that respects people's Fourth Amendment rights and we are doing it in a way that speaks to data,” Lara said.
For Groff, she views the tech in a way you’d expect a worried daughter to.
“I view it as 'Oh my god!' This brought my dad home. This brought my dad home,” Groff said.
