Feather Alerts News Today

Assembly Bill 1863, sponsored by the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria, the Yurok Tribe and the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians, would require the California Highway Patrol to respond to a Feather Alert activation within 48 hours and, if they deny an application, issue their explanation within the same time period. 

 

After several Feather Alerts were rejected by the California Highway Patrol, legislators have been looking to amend the law.

California Republicans and Democrats are leaving their ideological corners and stepping into an unfamiliar bipartisan middle ground.

In the first year of California's Feather Alert system, authorities denied some requests to issue bulletins on missing people, causing concerns.

In the first year of California's Feather Alert system, authorities denied some requests to issue bulletins on missing people, causing concerns.

When Yurok citizen Taralyn Ipina's sister went missing in the San Francisco area last year, her hope rested on the state’s newly implemented Feather Alert system. Launched Jan. 1, 2023, the statewide alert system for missing Indigenous people held the promise of aiding in search and recovery efforts. After six days with no word nor sighting of her sister, Ipina's request for the Feather Alert was rejected.

A year after state legislation went into effect that solidified the feather alert system in California, which notifies the public about Indigenous people who have gone missing similar to an AMBER alert, legislators, tribal leaders and police representatives met Wednesday in Sacramento. Hosted by Assemblymember James C. Ramos, who authored the legislation, the Assembly Select Committee on Native American Affairs hearing hashed out how the system has gone so far.

Law will give tribes access to statewide criminal records database in an attempt to prevent Missing and Murdered Indigenous People cases.

Under a new state law, emergency notifications by law enforcement will be expanded to include “Ebony Alerts” for missing Black children and youths. Studies show African Americans are disproportionately on lists of the missing. Story from @CalMatters.