TAMPA, Fla. — It's been two years since authorities launched the Florida Purple Alert to fill a gap in getting the word out about missing and endangered adults. In those two years, more than 400 people were found after an alert was issued, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a release.
The FDLE announced plans for a new missing person alert in 2021 after state lawmakers passed the legislation to create it. The system officially launched on July 1, 2022.
“Hundreds of lives have been saved in the Florida Purple Alert’s two-year history," FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said in a statement. "This alert has proven to be a critical tool to help keep our disabled citizens safe and the public has been an integral partner in the Florida Purple Alert’s success.”
To date, the FDLE says 447 Purple Alerts have been issued. As a result, 438 people have been found.
“Two years ago, Florida took a significant step in protecting its vulnerable residents with the implementation of the Purple Alert," Sen. Lori Berman, one of the law's authors, said in a statement. "This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals in the disabled community. I am so grateful for law enforcement's progress and vigilance in keeping our loved ones safe.”
The Florida Purple Alert is used to help find missing adults who suffer from mental, cognitive, intellectual or developmental disabilities and don't fit the criteria for a statewide Silver Alert. A Silver Alert is used to locate missing people 60 years and up who are suffering from irreversible deterioration of intellectual facilities.
“Honored to have been a part of making the Purple Alert law, we celebrate its two-year anniversary and the critical protection it provides to our vulnerable citizens," Rep. Joe Casello said in a statement. "This milestone reaffirms our commitment to community safety and support.”
The public can help in the search for these missing people by signing up to receive Purple Alerts via text or email.
It’s also important to be mindful of the other alerts in Florida that are used, which include:
- AMBER Alert: Warns of a child abduction
- Missing Child Alert: Engages the public in the search for a missing child
- Silver Alert: Used to locate missing persons with an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties
- Blue Alert: Issued when a law enforcement officer is killed, seriously injured, or missing while on duty, and the suspect is still at large
Previous reporting from 10 Tampa Bay contributed to this report.