Detroit’s new missing person alert system

August 27, 2025

Detroit recently implemented the Emerald Alert system to help locate vulnerable missing persons, which was successfully used for the first time to find 74-year-old Marjorie Louise Brown Kilpatrick and three teenage girls. Introduced by Council President Mary Sheffield and Police Chief Todd Bettison, the system addresses cases that don't meet Amber Alert criteria, including missing children under 10, persons with special needs, non-domestic kidnappings, and suspected foul play situations. The City Council allocated $80,000 in surplus funding to enhance the Detroit Police Department's 2025-26 budget specifically for a personal alert program focused on disabled residents prone to going missing.

Who is affected

Vulnerable missing persons in Detroit, including children under 10 and people with special needs
Detroit residents who subscribe to the 365 Alerts system
Families of missing persons like Marjorie Louise Brown Kilpatrick and the three teenage girls
Disabled residents who are prone to going missing
The Detroit Police Department and emergency response systems

What action is being taken

Detroit is actively implementing and using the new Emerald Alert system to locate missing vulnerable people
Alerts are being sent to subscribers of Detroit's existing 365 Alerts system
The Detroit Police Department is operating an Emerald Tipline at (313) 833-7297 for information about missing persons
The City Council has allocated $80,000 in surplus funding for a personal alert program for disabled residents

Why it matters

The Emerald Alert system fills a gap for cases that don't meet Amber Alert criteria
It was inspired by the tragic loss of Na'Ziyah Harris, a 13-year-old who went missing in 2024 and was never found
As Council President Sheffield noted, "every single second matters when someone goes missing"
The system helps cast a wider net to find vulnerable missing people quickly
It provides critical support for families experiencing "the nightmare of missing a loved one"

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com