Sussex Police have defended their decision to buy GPS locating devices to trace dementia patients amid calls from some elder care campaigners for their withdrawal.
The force bought six battery-powered locators as part of a bid to save money and time spent on searching for missing dementia patients.
The National Pensioners Convention described the introduction of the devices as "barbaric" and suggested sufferers could be stigmatised and made to feel like criminals.
But Sergeant Suzie Mitchell said: "The scheme is only costing Sussex Police a few hundred pounds but, comparing this to police time, resources, potential risk to the missing person, let alone the anxiety and worry for their family, it is, in my opinion, a few hundred pounds well spent."
The Mindme GPS device is monitored by Chichester Careline, run by Chichester District Council, and supports vulnerable people 24 hours a day every day of the year.
It can be attached to house keys or kept round a person's neck and enables people who become lost or disorientated to be located by their family through a website or Chichester Careline.
As long as the wearer has a mobile signal, they can be located anywhere in the world, officials said. Information on their whereabouts is given only to the carer or family after passing security checks.
The device sends details of its location to the website every four minutes and is seen as a way of helping police who are regularly called out to help find missing dementia sufferers.
'Barbaric'
But Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, described their introduction by police as "barbaric".
She said: "I think they should withdraw it straight away. Trying to equate somebody who has committed a criminal act with somebody who is suffering dementia is completely wrong.
"I doubt whether anyone in the Cabinet would want their parents dealt with in this way if they were suffering from dementia."
Ms Gibson accused the authorities of "trying to get care on the cheap".
She said: "It looks at the problem in the wrong way. If you've got people in the community who are so bad that they are wandering off at night and are not safe, they should be properly cared for, they shouldn't be tagged.
"It's a crude form of monitoring when the issue needs a much more detailed response than this. This is a back-of-an-envelope response."
Chichester service
There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK. A number of local authorities are already using similar devices to track sufferers, but this is believed to be the first time a police force has taken on such a scheme.
The devices cost £27.50 a month, which includes Chichester Careline monitoring it round the clock, every day.
Eileen Lintill, cabinet member for leisure, well-being and community services at Chichester District Council, said the devices give vulnerable people and their relatives peace of mind.
She said: "Hundreds of thousands of people across the country have dementia. This solution gives both those with dementia and their families the confidence and reassurance they need.
"The latest model also allows customers to speak to us directly by pressing a button.
"This can be used by anyone who wants to maintain their independence, but have the reassurance that someone is always around to help them."
Used with consent
Chief Inspector Tanya Jones, the district commander for Chichester, rejected criticism that the devices could lead to dementia sufferers being viewed as criminals.
She said: "This isn't a tagging device that people use when they are released from prison. It's used with the consent of the family and the individuals concerned.
"It's almost been blown out of proportion that we are trying to tag the 800,000 dementia sufferers in the country. We will only be using these in specific cases."
Sussex Police have spent around £600 on the six devices, which have yet to be deployed.
Ms Jones said typical missing person inquiries could involve scouring CCTV and deploying officers to check locations where they could be found.
"There are an awful lot of resources used and it's not fail proof," she said.
Independence and reassurance
Ms Jones added that saving money was a secondary concern for the force and that she believed the devices would give relatives and dementia sufferers independence and reassurance.
She said: "It's about finding people quickly before something happens to them, and secondly it's about value for money for the police but that's secondary."
Dementia sufferer Gill Stoneham, from Fishbourne, Chichester, started using the Mindme locator after a neighbour found her disorientated and trying to cross the A27.
Her husband Bernard said the device had made a big difference to their lives, and helped find her when she became stuck in mud after she wandered off.
Mr Stoneham said: "Not only does it indicate position, but in an area with housing it gives the nearest house number and street.
"The very next day, I told Gill not to go too far and to do a short walk.
Found distressed
"Later, I went to our computer and logged in to make sure that she was taking her normal route. It indicated that she was heading towards the church and car park, which was in the opposite direction to that discussed.
"She was then stationary in the adjacent field for 11 minutes. I thought perhaps she was playing ball with the dog, but I felt it was best to drive to the church car park just in case.
"I looked for her over the Fishbourne meadows, where the locator indicated she had been, but there was no sign of her.
"I decided to check the footpath from the church to the main road, and as I did, I passed the entrance to a field where cattle had recently been.
"The entrance was very muddy and full of water. In the entrance I suddenly saw Gill, lying on the ground stuck in the mud. She was very distressed and had been physically sick.
"Without the locator I wouldn't have known where to look for her."
Grateful for gadget
He added: "All I can say is how grateful I am to have had the use of this piece of hi-tech wizardry and what a difference it makes at this difficult time in our lives."
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "In some circumstances and when appropriate consent is given, GPS tracking can enable a person with dementia to remain independent for longer, providing them and their carer with peace of mind.
"But we must balance the potential advantages to the individual and the protection of a person's civil liberties. Any tracking system must support and never replace good quality care.
"Alzheimer's Society understands the safety of people with dementia is an important issue to address and people with dementia and carers have told us that they welcome technology like this if used in the right way.
"We're working with organisations such as the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Missing Persons Bureau to ensure people with dementia feel secure and included in their communities wherever they live."
Smart technology
Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, said: "Making smarter use of technology to help people manage health conditions and stay independent should be encouraged.
"This can include devices that help older people suffering from dementia to continue to safely go about their daily lives.
"However, it is always important to balance up individual rights and ensure technology is only used where it delivers real benefits and, in so far as possible, with the consent of people involved."
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