The Salisbury Township Police Department is participating in Project Lifesaver International, a nonprofit to assist families of persons with cognitive disorders.

The program uses tracking devices placed on individuals who may, for example, be on the autism spectrum or have Alzheimer’s Disease.

A $3,950 grant from Lehigh Valley Health Network will pay for start-up costs for the tracking technology in the program.

A transmitter is placed on the person’s wrist or ankle. Families would be responsible to pay for the device, estimated to cost $350.

Salisbury Police Chief Allen W. Stiles said his department has been working on participating in the program for about four months.

Stiles told the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners at its Jan. 14 meeting participation was expedited following the death of Jayliel Vega Batista, 5, who was a person with autism.

“That was part of the motivation,” Stiles said.

After a three-day search, the boy’s body was found Jan. 2 in the Lehigh River. The boy allegedly had wandered away from a New Year’s Eve party Dec. 31, 2015 at a neighbor’s house in east Allentown where he lived with his family.

“We do have these issues every once in a while in Salisbury Township,” Stiles told commissioners.

Salisbury Township Police Sgt. Donald Sabo, Jr., who is a paramedic, will head a Salisbury committee to implement the program. Bob Agonis, a member of the Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council, will assist.

Grants or fundraisers may be in the offing for families who cannot afford the tracking device.

It is expected Project Lifesaver will be operational in three to six months in Salisbury.

Project Lifesaver is currently in operation in Allentown and Bethlehem.

A press conference to publicize the program will be held at Lehigh Valley Health Network - Cedar Crest.

“We going to be working with them,” Stiles said.