California senator proposes "Ebony Alert" system for missing Black women, youth
SACRAMENTO — California Senator Steven Bradford has proposed a bill to create a special "Ebony Alert" system for missing Black women, girls and youth.
Senate Bill 673 would create a new alert system, which would be similar to Amber or Silver alerts used for missing children and senior citizens.
"The Ebony Alert would ensure that resources and attention are given so we can bring home missing Black women and Black children in the same way we would search for any missing child and missing person," Bradford said in a news release on the bill last week.
There is often criticism that missing Black women and girls are too often ignored by law enforcement and the media.
Bradford said his proposal would ensure Black women and girls receive the same level of resources and commitments as other missing persons cases to help locate them and bring them home.
The bill states a law enforcement agency may issue an Ebony Alert after considering factors that include the following among other factors.
- If the person's age is between 12-25
- If the person may have been a victim of trafficking or abduction
- If the person's physical safety is endangered
- If the person suffers from a physical or mental disability