The Government of Dominica officially launched its first-ever Missing Person Alert System (MPAS) on Monday.
The initiative is spearheaded and implemented by the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs.
“Public safety is key to the advancement or sustainable development of any country. And we believe what we are going to achieve [this] by this launch and as we go forward [with] the actual operation and execution of this missing person alert system, a number of good will be had from that process going forward,” National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore said while addressing the launching ceremony. “ And that is to ensure that there is community mobilization and to add more ears, more legs, more eyes to the process when people, especially [vulnerable people], go missing.”
According to him, in certain circumstances, missing people can be victims of a serious crime.
“And therefore, what it will do in terms of mobilizing resources from a community basis and from a national basis, it will place pressure on possible suspects who are maybe holding somebody by way of kidnapping or against their will. And we, of course, if this is implemented properly and seriously, I hope, and that’s the intention, many lives will be saved and to ensure that the pursuit of public safety can be a collective endeavor for it to work,” Blackmoore explained.
He commended FLOW for ensuring that the line is free, “And of course, that line will be fully operational on Wednesday; it will be administered by the officers at the telecommunication section.”
According to Blackmoore, this will all be done professionally.
“What I want to advise: I don’t want to use the word admonish, because I want to speak to our audience in that practical sense, is that we do not gamify the process by, as if to say, video games we are playing and calling and making arbitrary missing person or missing people report that will undermine the whole process if we were to do that,” he warned.
He continued, “ This is a serious thing, and I believe we have a collective responsibility to ensure that this thing is taken seriously.”
Furthermore, Blackmoore explained the terms of the alert, starting with the color pink, which represents a minor.
“So when a minor goes missing, irrespective of the circumstance…the police will actually transmit to the various media houses, you know, this pink code,” he explained.
He said everyone will know from a national standpoint that the person is below the age of 18, “and is a very vulnerable individual who cannot fend for his or herself and most probably that person is being held against his or her will.”
A silver alert represents someone who may be physically challenged, intellectually or mentally impaired, and/or an elderly person. He added that those considered to be within the special category, therefore, ought to be given specific attention.
“And we think that the color silver will actually symbolize the seriousness of that matter, that person who is missing is an adult, who is maybe elderly, who may be mentally or intellectually impaired or physically challenged,” he explained.
The color orange will represent any person who is not covered under the other categories.
Blue will encompass a missing persons case involving law enforcement.
“In the circumstances when somebody is on the run, that person may have injured a police officer, somebody within the law enforcement community, and a police officer or somebody within the law enforcement community is missing,” Blackmoore stated.
He explained how this new missing person alert will be executed, urging the country’s full mobilization.
“Once the police transmit that message, alert, every individual in the house will interrupt his normal programming. And it will be like a national war going on there because once that happens, that is going to place immense pressure on the possible suspect who may be holding [someone] against his own will… a minor, somebody with challenges, or any other person,” he explained.
The minister said he believes it is a step in the right direction.
