PUBLIC reporting systems are crucial for finding missing persons in a particular area.
On July 1, 2022, the state of Florida authorized the use of Purple Alerts in hopes of protecting adults with developmental disabilities.
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What does a purple warning mean?
Purple Alerts are sent when an adult with mental, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities is missing.
The warning is not related to substance abuse or Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, otherwise it would be categorized as a silver warning.
Purple Alerts went into effect in Florida on July 1, and notifications are posted on media sites, road signs and other communication platforms.
Law enforcement officers should assume that the subject of a warning may be subject to bodily harm and must be found and returned home.
Why was the purple warning created?
Purple Alerts was created after a family in Florida was confronted in 2018 with the death of their son, Joshua Marshall.
The 30-year-old had cognitive impairment, was non-verbal, and walked askew, as described by Fox35 Orlando.
He went missing in the middle of the night after moving to Port St Lucie with his father and his body was later found in a pond outside a fire station.
“He wandered the streets, ended up at a 7-Eleven… The store clerk saw him. Other people saw him. No one helped,” Marshall’s mother told the outlet.
“He was distraught. He was crying. He had no shoes on his feet. And he was just lost.”
“So many times people could have paused and stood up and said, ‘Hey, you know, this is the person they’re talking about in this warning.’ But there was no alarm.
Marshall’s mother worked with Florida Senator Lori Berman and Representative Joe Casello for three years to create the Purple Alerts.
“It’s a great legacy for him because it represents the kind of person he was. You know, he was always helping. So if we could help in any way, you know, we’re here,” she said.
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What other types of alerts are there?
Like Purple Alerts, there are other public reporting systems in the United States to broadcast information about missing persons:
Amber Alerts: emergency call for child abduction
Blue Alerts: “assistance in the identification, location and apprehension of persons suspected of killing or seriously injuring a police officer,” according to the New York State Senate.
Silver Alerts: missing persons alert – especially seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other mental disabilities