Washington State is adding missing indigenous persons to its Endangered Missing Alerts System. The system has included AMBER Alerts for missing children, SILVER alerts for missing seniors, and ENDANGERED MISSING PERSON Alerts for endangered missing adults.
The Missing Indigenous Person Alert System (MIPA) will
send notices of missing indigenous persons to law enforcement agencies and the
public through the WSDOT informational signs and the highway advisory radio
system, among other methods. Eventually, the alerts will be sent to cell phones
in the state.
Indigenous persons go missing at a higher level than
the general population. The Washington State Patrol’s (WSP) Missing and
Unidentified Persons Unit (MUPU) reports 128 missing indigenous persons in
Washington State as of June 13. According to the Urban Indian Health Institute
in Seattle, indigenous women are more than four times as likely to disappear
than white women in the state of Washington. There can be jurisdictional issues
that hamper an investigation and search for a missing indigenous person. The
MIPA system is an attempt to alleviate some of these issues and give publicity
to missing indigenous persons that other classes of missing persons have been
receiving.
WSP emphasizes that if a friend or family is missing
to report the fact that they are missing immediately. In the State of
Washington there is no wait time to report a missing person. Report the missing
person to the law enforcement agency where they were last seen.
An alert will be activated if
·
An indigenous person is missing due to
unexplained, involuntary, or suspicious circumstances and/or is believed to be
in danger because of age, health, adverse weather, or other circumstances and
is believed to be unable to return to safety without assistance.
·
There is enough descriptive information
available that could reasonably assist with the safe recovery of the person
such as: photos, height, weight, age, hair color, distinguishing physical
characteristics, clothing, etc.
·
The incident has been reported to and is
being investigated by law enforcement.
Washington State Patrol:
https://www.wsp.wa.gov/2022/06/30/state-launches-m-i-p-a-missing-indigenous-person-alert-system/
Missing
& Unidentified Persons Unit-
https://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/alerts-missing-persons/
Missing Person Reporting-
This brochure gives simple steps to take if your friend or loved one is missing,
https://www.wsp.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/323007_Missing_Person_Reporting_7-21.pdf
Seattle Times:
KING TV:
The Herald:
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/washington-launches-new-indigenous-missing-person-alert-system/
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