LOUISIANA SILVER ALERT

About

In 2008, the Louisiana legislature enacted legislation creating a Silver Alert program to identify and locate missing adults with a mental impairment, including Alzheimer's disease or dementia (LRS 40:2530.1 Act No. 453). The Louisiana Legislature finds that, in the case of a missing senior citizen or missing person with developmental disabilities, the first few hours in locating the individual are critical. To aid in the identification and location of missing senior citizens and missing persons with developmental disabilities, there is hereby created the missing senior citizen and missing person with developmental disabilities alert program, also called the “Silver Alert Act” and referred to in this Chapter as the “program”, to be implemented by the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Criteria for Using the Louisiana Silver Alert Act

The Louisiana Silver Alert Act is intended to assist law enforcement in locating certain missing persons. The Louisiana Silver Alert Act does not limit law enforcement from the use of the same public notification resources in missing person cases issued by local law enforcement or cases not meeting these criteria. However, the term “Silver Alert” must only be used by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Louisiana State Police (LSP) when local law enforcement requests our assistance in locating a missing adult and the missing is either of the following:

1. “Missing person with developmental disabilities” is a person whose whereabouts are unknown; whose domicile at the time he is reported missing is in this state; and whose disappearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of himself, as determined by a local law enforcement agency.
2. "Missing Senior Citizen" is a person whose whereabouts are unknown; whose domicile at the time he is reported missing is in this state; whose age at the time he is first reported missing is 60 years of age or older; and whose disappearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of himself, as determined by a local law enforcement agency.

Activation and Implementation of a Louisiana Silver Alert Act

When the disappearance of a person poses a credible threat to the safety and health of himself, and a Silver Alert needs to be issued, it is the responsibility of local law enforcement to notify the LSP in a timely manner so that other resources may assist in locating the missing person.

Deactivation of A Louisiana Silver Alert Act

It is the responsibility of the initiating agency to notify LSP as soon as possible after the missing person is located. This will allow LSP to contact media and any other public outlet requested to assist and notification to the Office of the Superintendent.