Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Wednesday proposed a new alert system that alert the public about missing or endangered persons.
The proposed system would act similar to AMBER alerts on radio and TV, which inform the public about a missing or abducted children, and make them aware in case they’re spotted. The agency said the alerts would specifically address native and indigenous persons, but noted other groups would benefit.
“We do not have a similar code in the Emergency Alert System dedicated to sounding the alarm over other missing and endangered persons, particularly the thousands of missing native and indigenous women who have disappeared from their homes never to be seen again,” Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Creating a new ‘Missing and Endangered Persons’ alert category can close this gap, help ensure no person who is missing and in danger is left behind, and save lives.”
The chairwoman plans to share the proposal with her fellow commissioners today with an intent to vote on it on the March 14 open meeting.
Rosenworcel added that violence against Native people “is a crisis, and far too many families and communities have suffered as a result.”
The current AMBER alert is signified by the designation CAE, or Child Abduction Emergency. The new alert would be signified with an MEP code, which stands for missing and endangered persons.
The proposal does not include the Wireless Emergency Alert system, so these won’t go on your phone. But Rosenworcel said she would pose the question of whether they should be tied together.
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