​Endangered Missing Advisory

An Endangered Missing Advisory (EMA) is an alert available to law enforcement agencies investigating the suspicious disappearance of at-risk missing children or other endangered persons.  Assembly Bill 946 established California Government Code Section 8594.11, which makes a local law enforcement agency investigating a missing person’s case responsible for determining whether the requirements have been met.  EMAs provide immediate information to the public to aid in the swift recovery of at-risk persons.  EMAs fulfill the federal Ashanti Alert Act of 2018.

Endangered Missing Advisory Criteria

In order for an Endangered Missing Advisory to be activated, the following criteria must be met:

  1. The missing person is developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, has been abducted, or is unable to otherwise care for themselves, placing their physical safety at risk.
  2. The investigating law enforcement agency has utilized all available local resources.
  3. The law enforcement agency determines the person has gone missing under unexplainable or suspicious circumstances.
  4. The law enforcement agency determines the person is in danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, environment, or weather conditions, the person is in the company of a potentially dangerous person, or other factors indicating the person may be in peril.
  5. There is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in a safe recovery of the missing person.

Printable ENDANGERED MISSING ADVISORY (EMA) Alert Flyer

​What should the public do?

Every member of the community can play an important role in an Endangered Missing Advisory.  If you locate a person or have information about someone who has been identified as missing, call 911 immediately to report the information. Be sure to make note of the location, direction of travel, and make, model, color, and license plate number (if possible) of any vehicle involved.  Even the smallest piece of information can be the piece that leads to a successful recovery.