There I was enjoying a nice leisurely drive into the office on a Friday morning. Feeling good, bopping along to some Left of Center, when what do I spy but a “SILVER ALERT” on the I40 overhead information signs. I think to myself, “Self, have you been drinking?”. What is this “SILVER ALERT” they speak of? Was AMBER not cool enough? Were the kids feeling a little under appreciated?
As it turns out it’s a means to track missing persons that may not be able to care for themselves. The NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety describes the requirements for a Silver Alert as:
- The person is 18 years old or older
- The person is believed to be suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairment
- The person is believed to be missing – regardless of circumstance
- A legal custodian of the missing person has submitted a missing person’s report to the local law enforcement agency where the person went missing
- Law enforcement reports the incident to the NC Center for Missing Persons
Just thought this was interesting. One of those things that just made me say hrmmmm… So I did a little investigation. I’m sure most of you have either never seen one of these alerts or likely doesn’t care. Regardless here is the info, take it or leave it.
Kitch. Wake up and smell the Geritol, baby. These silver alerts have been going on for months, and I would say they average one a week, if not more, on wral.com (which is where I get my local news since I don’t subscribe to the paper or watch the evening news on TV).
Here’s sample of recent ones.
Hey Jake,
Pay attention to those Silver Alerts, one of them might be for your parents