Wisconsin Bill Would Expand the State's Missing Persons Alert System to Include Children Who Don't Meet Amber Alert Criteria

Wednesday, February 7th, 2024 -- 8:00 AM

(Evan Casey, Wisconsin Public Radio) A Wisconsin bill would expand the state’s missing persons alert system to include children who do not meet Amber Alert criteria.

According to Evan Casey with Wisconsin Public Radio, the bill, which has bipartisan support, would expand the Silver Alert criteria to include missing persons under the age of 18.

Those notifications would target situations where an Amber Alert does not apply, if the person is “believed to be incapable of returning home without assistance due to a physical or mental condition or disability or if the person is under 10,” according to an analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

State Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, is the co-author of the bill, which was introduced this week. The motivation behind it was the death of 5-year-old Prince McCree, whose body was found in a Milwaukee dumpster last year after the child was reported missing.

Milwaukee Police asked the state to issue an Amber Alert in that case, but their request was denied. Two people who lived in the boy’s home were later charged with his beating death.

“Everybody automatically thinks that if their child comes up missing, they’ll get an Amber Alert and their child will be found,” Johnson said. “Nobody realizes that Amber Alerts are only for abducted children.”

Johnson said she wants more help to quickly find missing children. Last year, 78 kids under the age of 10 went missing in Wisconsin, she said. “We know that for at least those 78 kids, an alert could have gone out to help make the finding of those kids a lot easier,” she said.

Johnson also said it was important to extend the alert system to those under the age of 18 who have a physical or mental condition or disability. “That’s extremely important,” Johnson said. “Because we want to make sure that our most vulnerable are assisted with being able to return home safely.”

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