Senior Alert

On April 4, 2006, the Governor signed SB 06-057: Colorado Missing Senior Citizen Alert Program

This bill defines a missing senior citizen and creates the Missing Senior Citizen Alert Program to broadcast notice of missing senior citizens.

It requires the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to create the program to include:

• A procedure for law enforcement agencies to verify a senior citizen is missing;
• A procedure to verify the senior citizen has an impaired mental condition;
• Requires the CBI to issue an alert to media outlets in Colorado for broadcast of specific information to the public.

Criteria

Criteria must be met to activate a Missing Senior Citizen Alert.

1. "Missing Senior Citizen Alerts" must be requested by the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction;
   • An investigating officer who has reason to believe a missing adult meets the definition of a "missing senior citizen" may request a "Missing Senior Citizen Alert".
2. The subject must meet the definition of a "missing senior citizen":
   • He or she went missing while in Colorado;
   • The missing person is 60 years of age or older;
   • Confirmation law enforcement has received a signed statement from a family member, close friend, caregiver, doctor or person at a medical facility that verifies the missing senior citizen has an impaired mental condition;
   • The subject's disappearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of the person.

The investigating agency needs to enter the missing senior citizen into the Colorado Crime Information Center (CCIC) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as a missing endangered person.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will forward the information on to participating radio stations, television stations and other media outlets in Colorado. If there is a plate number associated with a vehicle, the Department of Transportation Traffic Operation Center may post the plate number on the Variable Message Signs (VMS) on Colorado highways.