New Emergency Alert System Code Enhances Missing Adult Notifications
In a significant development for missing person alerts, the Federal Communications Commission launched a new missing and endangered persons code for its nationwide Emergency Alert System in August 2024. It will allow law enforcement to send out messages about missing adults to the public through phones, TV and the radio, expanding the reach of Ashanti Alerts and similar notifications nationwide.
This enhancement represents a major advancement in the Ashanti Alert system’s capability to reach the public quickly when adults aged 18-64 go missing under suspicious circumstances. The new code is particularly significant as part of efforts to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis throughout the country.
DOJ Launches Official Ashanti Alert Website
Senator Mark Warner recently announced the launch of a dedicated Ashanti Alert website administered by the Department of Justice. The public website unveiled today provides information about the law and the National Ashanti Alert Network, and it includes links to state missing person programs and other resources.
The website serves as a centralized hub for information about the National Ashanti Alert Network, which seeks to notify the public about missing or endangered adults ages 18-64 through a national communications network. This development marks a significant step forward in making the system more accessible and informative for both law enforcement and the general public.
Understanding the Ashanti Alert System
The Ashanti Alert is named after Ashanti Billie, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared from Hampton, VA on Sept. 18, 2017 and whose body was found in Charlotte, NC two weeks later. The federal Ashanti Alert Act of 2018 established this voluntary nationwide communication network to aid in the search and recovery of missing persons between the ages of 18 and 64.
The system fills a crucial gap in missing person alerts, as AMBER Alerts are reserved for children under 18, while Silver Alerts typically focus on elderly individuals with cognitive impairments. Ashanti Alerts specifically target adults who may be in danger but don’t qualify for other alert systems.
State Implementation and Coordination
States across the nation continue to strengthen their Ashanti Alert programs. Oklahoma’s alert system includes Amber, Endangered Missing, Silver, Blue, Kasey and Ashanti alerts, demonstrating how states are integrating multiple alert systems to cover all demographics effectively.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons has established comprehensive procedures for activating Ashanti Alerts, requiring law enforcement to enter missing persons into the National Criminal Information Center system and initiate statewide bulletins before requesting alert activation.
Network Operations and Coordination
The National Ashanti Alert Network does not accept reports of missing adults, but is a link to the state, territorial, and tribal area to share missing adult information to assist in the location and investigation of that individual. This coordination model ensures that alerts can cross state lines when necessary while maintaining local control over investigations.
The system’s effectiveness lies in its ability to rapidly disseminate critical information about missing adults to law enforcement agencies, media outlets, and the public through various communication channels including emergency alert systems, social media, and traditional broadcast media.
Future Developments and Impact
As the Ashanti Alert system continues to evolve, recent technological enhancements and expanded communication channels are improving its effectiveness. The integration with the FCC’s Emergency Alert System represents a major milestone in ensuring that alerts reach the widest possible audience when adults go missing under suspicious circumstances.
The system’s continued development reflects ongoing efforts to address gaps in missing person response, particularly for vulnerable adult populations who may face dangers similar to those that tragically claimed Ashanti Billie’s life.