Silver Alert

Location

Telephone Numbers and Contact Information

Program Details

To help protect an increasing population of individuals who suffer from dementia or other cognitive impairment, North Carolina developed the Silver Alert program to quickly locate missing persons who may be endangered. The Silver Alert program was designed to quickly disseminate descriptive information about the missing person, so that citizens in the affected area can be on the lookout for the endangered person and notify local law enforcement with any relevant information. The program is a cooperative effort among local and state law enforcement and the NC Center for Missing Persons, with voluntary participation by radio and television broadcasters and the N.C. Department of Transportation. Specific health information about the missing person is not publicized through the alert, or otherwise, in order to protect the missing from potential abuse, harm or exploitation. Although a few other states have implemented similar programs to locate missing endangered adults, the Silver Alert program is unique to North Carolina and one of only three designed to help cognitively-impaired adults. It is operated through the NC Center for Missing Persons. ALL of the following statutory criteria must be met before the NC Center for Missing Persons will activate a Silver Alert: * The person is believed to be suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairment -- regardless of age * The person is believed to be missing – regardless of circumstance * A legal custodian of the missing person has submitted a missing person's report to the local law enforcement agency where the person went missing * Law enforcement reports the incident to the NC Center for Missing Persons The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons is the only agency that can activate a Silver Alert and will do so ONLY at the request of an investigating law enforcement agency. (There is no minimum length of time before a report can be made.) It is then the responsibility of the center to determine whether there is sufficient identifying data to justify a Silver Alert activation.

This information is provided as is with no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information. Information is considered to be accurate as of the date of the last update, printed above. Resources for Seniors may not be held liable for misuse of this information.