The end of October marked the fourteenth anniversary of Florida’s Silver Alert program, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) activated its 3,000th Silver Alert over the weekend.
Since 2008, Florida’s Silver Alert program has been directly responsible for 286 recoveries of missing senior citizens.
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said, “With the help of our Florida citizens, Silver Alerts have resulted in the safe recovery of hundreds of seniors. To learn more or to sign-up to receive Silver Alerts through email, visit www.floridasilveralert.com.”
Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Michelle Branham said, “There are more than a half million Floridians living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. It is common for them to become lost or confused about their location at any stage of the disease. We are grateful for our law enforcement partners for their quick response in issuing Silver Alerts.”
Silver Alerts are activated statewide at the request of local law enforcement after a senior with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD) goes missing in a vehicle. Once a Silver Alert is issued, information about the missing senior is communicated to the public through local media outlets, lottery terminals and highway message signs.
Missing persons 60 years of age and older who have irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are eligible for Silver Alert activation. Once the person has been recovered, the Department of Elder Affairs, in coordination with the Area Agencies on Aging and Florida’s Memory Disorder Clinics, work to provide follow-up assistance to the senior.
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