Seven Cities Join SAVES Program to Help Police Interact with Vulnerable Populations
(Lara Mossa, Dec. 15, 2025)
Oakland County, MI – Rochester is one of seven communities participating in a new police program called S.A.V.E.S. Standing for special needs, autism, vulnerable person, elderly and safety, the project facilitates communication between law enforcement and citizens.
“We are all human and we’re all here to work together and make sure everybody feels safe and included,” said Brenna Hogue, co-founder of S.A.V.E.S. and a Rochester patrol officer. “We are understanding, especially with people who struggle with high stress situations. We can work through this together.”
The S.A.V.E.S. program, developed along with Rochester Police Chief George Rouhib, is intended to help vulnerable people who might be pulled over in their vehicle for a traffic stop, found wandering in the community or present during fire calls, among other crises situations.
The program contains two main components. The first is a QR code police can scan to get all the participant’s emergency and contact information. This would be for law enforcement and fire officials as well as community members and emergency medical services. It can be found on a weather-resistant sticker placed on each person or something they would have with them all the time as well as a window decal for their vehicle.
Another key component is a blue envelope that contains emergency contacts, addresses, medical diagnosis, driver’s license and proof of insurance among other crucial documents, which can be kept in the sun visor of the participant’s vehicle.
Eventually, the goal is to create medical identification bracelets that each vulnerable person could wear.
The S.A.V.E.S. program also may expand into homes and schools.
Besides Rochester, agencies participating in S.A.V.E.S. include Clawson, Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Waterford Township, Macomb County Sheriff’s Department and Warren.
“We really loved it, and we thought it would be something great for our community and our residents during moments of crises and confusion,” said Clawson Police Chief Kellie Bauss. “That’s the goal of the program.”
Clawson officials are particularly interested, since the local school system has a special program for students with autism spectrum disorder and, therefore, a higher number of students with special needs in the region, Bauss said. “We’re excited to implement this in our community,” she said. Added in November, Clawson does not have any active participants yet but Rochester does.
Right now, interested residents can sign up in a community that participates or register with the S.A.V.E.S. program. In that case, the coordinators would reach out to the law enforcement agency in their area. There are no costs for participants and minor expenses for the participating departments including an annual membership and supplies.
Currently, S.A.V.E.S. operates under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester but is in the process of working on nonprofit status, Hogue said. Board members already include professionals from areas such as nursing, psychology and behavioral health.
By becoming a nonprofit organization, the coordinators can work on securing grant funding and donations to help alleviate costs, Hogue added. As the mother of someone diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Hogue sees firsthand a particular need for the project. She has talked to guardians and parents for hours about their loved one’s needs. “I heard a lot about how it gives the participants dignity again,” Hogue said. “That was really important to me.”
For more information or to sign up, go to www.savesproject.com.
