Riley Nelson is a runner.

The autistic 8-year-old bolted from his Riverton home last fall and disappeared for about 30 minutes before he was spotted by a police officer at a park a mile away, his mother Tricia Nelson said.

Riley, who doesn't speak, has wandered from home a handful of times, despite his parents' vigilant eyes. So although his home has deadbolt locks on the doors and latches on the windows, they are thinking of trying a new tracking device service offered through the Unified Police Department.

"It's a matter of life and death for us if he gets away," Tricia Nelson said. "He could run into the middle of a busy highway or jump into a lake of water and he can't swim."

The program is called the Project Lifesaver/LoJacak SafetyNet service. Those who enroll wear a thin, hospital-style bracelet on an arm, leg or belt. The bracelet emits a radio frequency that can be picked up by an antenna receiver. The receiver can find a wandering person on a street, in a building or even in a wooded area.

A person with autism, Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other special needs would wear the tracking device around the clock.

The department has six receiver units, consisting of one hand-held and one car-mounted antenna. The roof antenna can locate a missing person as far away as a quarter of a mile. The hand-held antenna can find them within a mile radius.

"This is just another way for us to hopefully assist the community," said UPD Capt. Teri Sommers, who oversees the program.

The units were offered to UPD through a grant from the National Autism Association, and the program was launched in Salt Lake County at the end of May. Eight UPD officers were trained last October on how to use the equipment and they have recently undergone a refresher course.

Sommers said the device should help police locate a wandering person quickly, with less manpower and less cost to taxpayers.

Leeann Whiffen, the Utah Autism Coalition president, knows many people with family members who have cognitive issues, or challenges with memory and thinking.

"When you have a child that wanders anything can happen," she said. "... They wouldn't be able to say their names or anything like that."

Whiffen said some kids with autism kids can't speak, don't understand boundaries and have no fear. She thinks the device would be helpful to parents and give them some peace of mind.

"I see it as a really great tool," she said.

The initial start-up fee for the service and tracking device is $99. It then costs $30 a month, Sommers said. The monthly fee is paid to Project Lifesaver/Lojack SafetyNet, a company with headquarters in Chesapeake, Va.

An interested family can order a bracelet to see if it is compatible with a relative before paying for it, Sommers said.

Alicia Nelson she said she is uncertain whether the bracelet will work for Riley, since he doesn't like to have things attached to him, but the family is considering giving the program a try.

"We're willing to do anything to make sure [Riley] stays safe all the times," Nelson said.