A late-night emergency alert that awoke residents across New Mexico has sparked public criticism and official review, after the missing man it sought was found deceased in Socorro County.
The Silver Alert was broadcast to cell phones in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties at 12:45 a.m. Thursday. It described a 77-year-old man who had been last seen near Bernalillo around 8 a.m. the previous day, providing details of the vehicle he was driving and asking the public to call 911 with any information.
While the alert proved effective, with a truck driver recognizing the vehicle and contacting authorities, many who received it were startled by the timing and confused by the message.
“We didn’t have any idea what it was about,” said resident Gary Brightbill. “We had no idea if that person was missing because they were ill, because of dementia—or was he a criminal and they were trying to catch him.” Another resident, Peggie Chavez, found the alert “vague,” adding, “I didn’t understand if it was someone we should be wary of or if they needed help.”
New Mexico State Police (NMSP) acknowledged the criticism but stressed that the system achieved its objective. Sgt. Ricardo Breceda confirmed the man was located and found dead after the truck driver reported the vehicle on I-25. While the cause of death was not disclosed, Breceda emphasized the importance of the alerts.
“Just asking people to empathize with these families,” he said. “If it was their loved one, they would want law enforcement to do everything in their power to find them.”
State police clarified that the alert’s timing was not a mistake. Authorities received the missing person’s report just after midnight and issued the notification to surrounding counties within an hour.
The incident occurred just one day after NMSP announced a new policy to issue Silver Alerts for missing adults over 50 and Turquoise Alerts for missing Native Americans directly to mobile phones, similar to the Amber Alert system for children.
Sgt. Breceda said the department is now reviewing the alert’s wording and delivery to prevent confusion in the future. “We want to make sure we are delivering the necessary information to the public,” he stated.
Source link
