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Washington OKs 1st statewide missing Indigenous people alert | 2022-04-01 08:09:52

TULALIP, Wash. (AP) -- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday signed into law a bill that creates a first-in-the-nation statewide alert system for missing Indigenous people, to help address a silent crisis that has plagued Indian Country in this state and nationwide.

It's a system similar to Amber Alerts and silver alerts, which are used respectively for missing children and vulnerable adults in many states.

The law creates a system to notify law enforcement when there’s a report of a missing Indigenous person. It will also place messages on highway reader boards.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law creating the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s and People’s Alert System. It is the first statewide alert system for missing Indigenous people – particularly women – in the nation.