JEFFERSON CITY – Senator Paul LeVota, D-Independence, brought Senate Bill 453 before the Seniors, Families and Children Committee today (3-17). This measure would expand the AMBER Alert system to also include the Silver Alert system.
Senate Bill 453 would change the “AMBER Alert” program to include the “Silver Alert” program, which provides protections for all missing persons, especially Missouri’s elderly population suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. The Silver Alert program was originally enacted into law in Oklahoma in 2006. Since then twenty-five states have adopted the vital program.
“The idea behind this bill is to use the current program we have to keep children safe, as a means to keep our senior citizens safe as well,” said Sen. LeVota. “Statistics provided from the Alzheimer’s Association state that 1 in 3 Alzheimer’s patients will wonder. This creates a scary situation for these patients’ families and the safety of those suffering from this debilitating disease.”
Senator LeVota welcomed numerous witness testimonies in support of SB 453, including testimony from the Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging, AARP and Missourians affected by the absence of the Silver Alert in Missouri. Of these testimonies, the emotional story of Howard Cook seemed to be a driving force behind Sen. LeVota’s bill.
During Cook’s testimony, he told the story of his elderly wife, Helen, suffering from Alzheimer’s, wondering from their Warsaw, MO vacation home. After seeking assistance from local law enforcement, Howard was informed Missouri did not participate in the Silver Alert system. Twenty-nine pain staking days later, the badly decayed body of Cook’s wife was found, forcing them to identify nothing more than a pile of bones.
“Helen was a vital part of our family,” said Cook. “It hurts every day, every minute. These people are important and, at the end of the day, every person missing deserves to be found.”
Studies and statistics provided by Catherine Edwards, Ph.D., predicts Missouri’s elderly population age 65 and older is projected to increase 67 percent to 1.4 million by 2030. These projections would also include an increase of Missourians 80 years and older by 79 percent. Tragically, the number of citizens suffering from Alzhiemers is expected to grow as well.
“We already have the capability and system in place,” said LeVota. “Now we must expand the program to protect not only Missouri’s children, but all Missourians.”
If SB 453 passed, it would change the name of the of the AMBER Alert system to the “AMBER and Silver Alert” system.
For more information on Sen. LeVota’s legislative efforts, visit his official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/levota or contact his Capitol office at (573) 751-3074. |
