Full Notification

On August 21, 2026, at approximately 6:38 p.m., the Petaluma Police Department received a report of an at-risk missing adult who had left his Petaluma residence earlier in the afternoon and had not returned home.

Due to the missing adult's age and reported memory issues, officers immediately began investigating his whereabouts and entered him into the Missing and Unidentified Persons System (MUPS) as an at-risk missing person. Information regarding the missing adult and his vehicle was also distributed to allied law enforcement agencies.

During the investigation, Petaluma Police Department personnel utilized the Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) network to search for the missing adult's vehicle. An initial Flock detection showed that the vehicle had traveled outside of Petaluma and into Solano County.

As the investigation continued, additional Flock detections showed the vehicle continuing north through the region. Over the course of the evening, the vehicle traveled through Solano County and continued north through Lake and Mendocino counties before ultimately reaching Humboldt County.

Each new Flock detection provided PPD personnel with updated information regarding the vehicle's location and direction of travel. PPD dispatchers used this information to continually update allied law enforcement agencies as the search expanded across multiple jurisdictions. This allowed agencies farther north to be notified as the vehicle approached their areas and helped focus resources along the vehicle's anticipated route of travel.

Later that evening, Flock information indicated the vehicle had continued north toward Humboldt County. PPD provided the updated information to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol.

At approximately 11:35 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office located the missing adult and his vehicle. He was found safe, and his family was notified so arrangements could be made for his safe return home.

The missing adult had traveled through multiple counties and more than 150 miles from his Petaluma residence before being located. The Flock ALPR network provided PPD with timely investigative leads throughout the search, allowing officers and dispatchers to track the vehicle's general progression from Solano County through Lake and Mendocino counties and ultimately into Humboldt County.

This incident highlights how ALPR technology can be used as an investigative tool during time-sensitive public safety incidents. In this case, information obtained through the Flock network helped connect multiple jurisdictions and allowed law enforcement agencies to focus their search as the missing adult continued traveling farther from home.

The Petaluma Police Department would like to thank the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, and other allied agencies that assisted in bringing this incident to a safe conclusion.