National Missing Endangered Persons code set to launch Monday, Sept. 8

by Dana White of CBS News Texas

We're used to getting AMBER or Silver Alerts on our phones, but a new national alert system is expected to send more notifications.

The Federal Communications Commission will launch the Missing Endangered Persons code, or MEP, which will broadcast alerts over TV, radio, and cell phones.

Texas has a similar alert system that mainly covers individuals with disabilities. The FCC's new alert expands that coverage to include cases involving abnormal circumstances, immediate peril, vulnerability, and insufficient information.

Fort Worth police welcome the change

Missing persons cases keep the Fort Worth Police Department busy, according to spokesperson Officer Brad Perez.

"Every year we get hundreds of cases as far as missing persons, and time is of essence," Perez said.

"The fact that this can also be on television, the fact that this can also be on radio, and also be on your smartphone, where they're obviously doing everything they can to get the message out to as many people as possible, is great," Perez said.

Filling gaps in current systems

Loris Taylor spoke at an FCC hearing in support of the new alert.

"It's not only for missing and endangered adults, but it's also for minors that are not covered by the Amber alert, so it scoops up everybody else that's not included in the Amber alert," Taylor said.

Taylor's uncle, Eugene Calnimptewa, went missing more than 10 years ago and has never been found.

"He worked at a local trading post and left work around a shortly after 7 p.m., and the video inside the store sees him leaving. He opens the door and he walks out into the darkness, and that's the last time he was ever seen alive," Taylor said.

Impact on underserved communities

The MEP code could be especially helpful to Tribal communities, where American Indians and Alaska Natives face a disproportionate risk of violence or disappearance. It's also expected to help address disparities in missing persons cases involving Black individuals, who make up a significantly higher percentage of missing adults compared to their share of the U.S. population, according to the FCC.

Taylor, president and CEO of Native Public Media, said the alert could help gather data and improve outcomes.

"By having this event code, it establishes an ability for us to gather data, and perhaps, like the AMBER alert, we can be successful in tracking down missing and endangered persons and preventing more harm to their lives," Taylor said.

Public concerns and police response

Some North Texas residents have expressed concern about receiving too many alerts and have considered turning them off. The Fort Worth Police Department cautions against that.

"They could potentially play a very valuable tool in regards to locating someone. You could be on the road driving when the suspect vehicle of a missing person could be driving by," Perez said. "You could be in a store, at a restaurant, or somewhere in public when a description of the missing person is walking right by, so it's very important."

The new alert system goes into effect Monday, Sept. 8.