MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Beginning today, Alabama’s Missing Senior Alert becomes the state’s Missing and Endangered Person Alert, and includes a broader coverage of those who may be in danger.
The previous Missing Senior Alert issued alerts for those who may have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and while the Amber Alerts and Emergency Missing Child alerts can be called for those under 17, there was no alert for persons 18 or older who had mental or physical disabilities in danger.
The expanded version, signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey, provides coverage for those vulnerable people.
“In the past, our Alabama Fusion Center has faced the challenge of how to alert the public when a missing individual is too old to meet the criteria for an AMBER or Emergency Missing Child Alert and too young to meet the criteria for a Missing Senior Alert,” Hal Taylor, secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement. “We appreciate Governor Ivey and the Legislature’s support in working with us to ensure some of the state’s most vulnerable individuals who are reported missing are found as quickly as possible.”
Another program already in place in many jurisdictions is Project Lifesaver, which pairs special bracelets with a special receiver/tracker to help authorities find a person who may not be able to communicate for themselves. Most law enforcement agencies in north Alabama participate in the Project Lifesaver program.
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