New Jersey residents may soon hear and feel their phones buzzing with a new kind of emergency alert. A bill advancing through the State Senate would require Silver Alerts — used when older adults or people with cognitive impairments go missing — to be broadcast with the same urgency and distinctive sound as Amber Alerts.
The legislation, S-2802, sponsored by Senators Shirley K. Turner and Angela V. McKnight, cleared the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee today. It would mandate participating media outlets to issue a loud alert tone followed by the message: “This is a Missing Person Silver Alert.” The alerts would include a description of the missing person and any other details law enforcement believes could help locate them. Alerts would run repeatedly for three hours, then at regular intervals afterward.
“Every minute matters when a vulnerable person goes missing,” Turner said. “Silver Alerts deserve the same urgency and visibility as Amber Alerts.”
Currently, Silver Alerts rely on voluntary cooperation from media outlets, resulting in inconsistent coverage. Amber Alerts, by contrast, are standardized, mandatory, and widely broadcast — a system credited with saving abducted children by mobilizing the public within minutes.
Senator McKnight said the bill would give communities “the tools they need to act quickly.”
Silver Alerts apply when someone with dementia or another cognitive impairment goes missing and may be in danger. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six in ten people with dementia will wander at least once, making rapid alerts potentially lifesaving.