Arizona Endangered Person Alert
I. PURPOSE The Endangered Person Alert is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement and local broadcasters to rapidly disseminate information about a missing and endangered person to law enforcement agencies, broadcasters and the public.
II. CRITERIA The Endangered Person Alert is initiated solely by Arizona law enforcement agencies using the following criteria:
1. Is the missing person 18 years old or older?
2. Is the person missing under unexplained, involuntary or suspicious circumstances?
3. Is the person believed to be in danger of death or serious injury because of health, a medically diagnosed mental or physical disability, environment or weather conditions, in the company of a potentially dangerous person or some other factor that may put the person in peril?
4. Is there information that could assist the public in the safe recovery of the missing person?
5. Has the incident been reported to and investigated by a law enforcement agency?
III. PROCEDURE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO INITIATE AN ENDANGERED PERSON ALERT
If all criteria exist, prepare the "Endangered Person Alert" by using the Attempt To Locate (ATL) code on the Arizona Criminal Justice Information System (ACJIS). Write "Endangered Person Alert" in the title of the entry. An Arizona Endangered Person Alert Law Enforcement Form is available to help you gather information.
Enter the information with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) using the proper message key: Missing (MNP), Endangered (EME), Involuntary (EMI).
Obtain a photograph of the missing person and/or suspect as soon as possible and e-mail it to
dutyoffice@azdps.gov
A Public Information Officer (PIO) should be appointed to handle the press. Once the alert has been activated, media coverage may be overwhelming, especially for a small department. The PIO should be constantly updated to utilize the media as much as possible and receive the maximum exposure for the case.
The Endangered Person Alert does not preclude any in-house procedures, policies or practices used by each law enforcement agency.
IV. THE FOLLOWING WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE ALERT IS ACTIVATED
All Arizona law enforcement agencies are notified through the NCIC (National Crime Information Center).
Broadcasters and media are notified by e-mail and by Media Alert through the DPS Duty Office.
FAXNET1 will send photos and details to businesses and residents throughout Arizona.
V. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
DPS can contact other states if the alert needs to be sent outside of Arizona. Call DPS at (602) 223-2212. DPS is also available to provide training or training materials.
Medic Alert / Alzheimers Assoc. Safe Return is a 24-hour nationwide emergency response service for individuals with Alzheimers or a related dementia who wander or have a medical emergency. Call the emergency response line toll-free at (800-625-3780).
FAXNET1 is an Arizona non-profit organization that works with national, state and local law enforcement to fax & e-mail crime alerts to businesses and neighborhood associations. Contact FAXNET1 at:
www.faxnet1.org, (602) 534-8562 (office), (602) 534-8573 (fax).
APS client identification program provides Arizona Adult Protective Services clients pendants with their case number so information can be accessed by first responders calling the APS emergency number: 877-767-2385.
VI. CANCELING THE ENDANGERED PERSON ALERT
The initiating agency must cancel the Endangered Person alert by calling DPS at 602-223-2212. The outcome of the case should also be reported.
Arizona Endangered Person Alert
ARIZONA AMBER ALERT ACTIVATION CRITERIA:
1. The Arizona AMBER Alert requires two specific criteria to be met before an activation of the Arizona AMBER Alert Plan can be made for a child abduction. Law Enforcement Agencies must have both criteria listed below before an activation can occur. The criteria are:
I. The child is 17 years of age or younger, has been abducted, is missing or has been medically diagnosed as suffering from a mental or physical disability and there is reason to believe the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
AND
II. There is sufficient information available to disseminate to the general public, which could assist in the safe recovery of the child and/or the apprehension of a suspect.
2. The Arizona AMBER Alert is activated only when the specific requirements listed above are met.
3. The Arizona AMBER Alert is not activated for every missing/abducted child.
4. The Arizona AMBER Alert is not activated for Access or Custodial Interference Cases where there is no danger of serious bodily injury or death to the child.
5.
If the incident does not meet the criteria of this plan for activation, nothing precludes the investigating agency from contacting the media for assistance in disseminating the information surrounding the incident. However, the incident should not be referred to as an AMBER Alert since it does not meet the activation criteria.
Arizona Amber Alert Website