The Federal Communications Commission is launching a new nationwide alert code for missing and endangered Indigenous people who do not fit the criteria for an Amber Alert or Silver Alert, NPR reports. The new alert code, according to the agency, would be similar to the nationwide Amber Alert system and will help law enforcement agencies issue timely alerts to the public through cellphones, televisions and radios. The new "MEP" alert code is part of the effort to address disparities in searching for thousands of missing Indigenous persons in the U.S., who are at higher risk of being victims of violence, homicide, and of going missing, the FCC said. "We just made it easier to find missing and endangered persons, particularly those from indigenous and tribal communities," the agency said on X. The new code will help tribal, state and local law enforcement agencies broadcast alerts for missing persons who do not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert for children and a Silver Alert for senior citizens.
Lavina Willie-Nez, Amber Alert coordinator for the Navajo Nation Police Department in Arizona, said that each time an Indigenous person goes missing, "we lose a part of our heritage and culture. The missing endangered person code will greatly assist the Navajo Nation and other tribes where individuals go missing and are in danger." Since 2018, the Navajo Nation says it has issued eight Amber Alerts — all of which have resulted in the recovery of the missing children. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said that the new code will close a “critical gap” in the nation’s public safety infrastructure. "This three-letter ‘MEP’ event code harmonizes emergency alerts nationwide to ensure that the public is alerted and prepared to respond during these emergencies. Put simply, this order will help save lives," Starks said. Last year, more than 188,000 people went missing in the U.S. who did not qualify for an Amber Alert. Nearly 10,600 American Indian/Alaska Native persons were reported missing, of which roughly 3,300 were 18 or older, according to FBI statistics.
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