Purple Alert, for adults with disabilities, added to Florida system for finding the missing

WLRN 91.3 FM | By Olivia Lloyd | South Florida Sun Sentinel

Published June 20, 2022 at 2:21 PM EDT

Starting July 1, Purple Alerts, which are for adults who go missing and are endangered because of a disability, will be added to the missing persons system in Florida.

Floridians may notice a new color of alert flashing across highway message boards soon.

After several years of development between disability advocates, law enforcement and transportation officials, the Purple Alert will be rolling out July 1.

The alert will be “used to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from mental, cognitive, intellectual or developmental disabilities,” according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The Purple Alert will join Florida’s Silver (senior), Blue (law enforcement) and AMBER (children) alerts. Purple Alerts will apply to people who are 18 or older and do not qualify for a Silver Alert. The missing person must have an intellectual or developmental disability, brain injury or another physical, mental or emotional disability that is not related to substance abuse, Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder.