Colorado to launch Missing Indigenous Person Alert system

DENVER — The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced it launched Missing Indigenous Person Alert (MIPA) on Dec. 30, 2022.

The new system provides the CBI to send an alert when an Indigenous person is reported missing in the state of Colorado.

The launch is in response to a Colorado Senate bill (SB 22-150) that expands the investigation of missing and murdered Indigenous relative cases.

The CBI will be responsible for the issuance of all Alerts at the request of local law enforcement through its existing alerting system.

The missing person must have an active entry in CCIC/NCIC. The person must be Indigenous, but the CBI will accept whatever information can reasonably be provided.

The CBI said enough information must be available to believe that the issuance of an alert will aid in the recovery of the missing person.

The request for an alert must come from law enforcement.

The legislation also requires a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing Indigenous person to notify the CBI within eight hours of a report of a missing adult or within two hours of a report of a missing child.

If the incident involves an abducted Indigenous child a statewide AMBER Alert will be issued if the alert criteria is met. Alerts activated by the CBI are only active in the state of Colorado. If information suggests the missing person is no longer in Colorado an alert will not be activated. However, the CBI can work to communicate with other states as necessary and as requested by local law enforcement in such cases.

Once a MIPA is activated, Colorado law enforcement will be notified electronically, while the media, stakeholders, and others may distribute the information via email and text to its current list of alert subscribers.

To receive alert notifications, email: cdps_cbi_missing@state.co.us

Colorado joins the state of Washington in offering an alert for missing Indigenous persons for law enforcement to access.

Information provided by Colorado Department of Public Safety.