AssemblymemberAdrinNazarian

StateCapitol,Room4146
Sacramento,CA942490046
DearAssemblymemberNazarian:
TheAmericanSilverAlertCoalitionisanationwideadvocateforseniors,caregivers,andlaw
enforcementtosupportenactmentofSilverAlertprogramsinall50states,aswellasfederal
legislationtoestablishnationalbestpracticesforSilverAlerts.ASACispleasedtoendorseAB
643,whichexpandstheCaliforniaSilverAlertprogramtoactivateanalertviaChangeable
MessageSigns(CMS).

AccordingtotheCaliforniaHighwayPatrol,161SilverAlertswereactivatedin2013.Onlytenof
thosevictimswerelocatedbyBOLO,EDIS,orAPBnet.In2014,164SilverAlertswereactivated
andonly11victimswerelocatedbythesamemeans.ASACcomparedthesenumberswith
Florida,astateofcomparablegeographicsizeandpopulation,withalargehighwaysystem
butonethatemployschangeablemessagesigns.

AccordingtoinformationfromtheFloridaDepartmentofLawEnforcement,203SilverAlerts
wereissuedinFloridain2014,with202resultinginthesaferecoveryofamissingperson.Of
thesesaferecoveries,93wereclassifiedasdirectrecoveries,definedasapersonrecovereddue
totheactivationoftheStateSilverAlert,primarilythroughtheuseofdynamichighway
messagesignsorotheractionsinitiatedbystateagencies.Bycontrast,31resultedinanindirect
recovery,definedasapersonrecoveredthroughtheactionsofthelocalagencyincoordination
withtheSilverAlertPlan,primarilythroughlawenforcementcommunicationsormedia.

AB643ensuresthatCaliforniaistakingallpossiblemeasuresinfindingamissingperson.By
includingChangeableMessageSignsinthedisseminationofSilverAlerts,AB643addsavital
tooltolocatemissingseniors,atoolthathasbeenusedeffectivelyinotherstates.

Foralltheforegoingreasons,werespectfullyaskforyourAyevoteincommittee.

Sincerely,
WyethRuthven
ExecutiveDirector
AmericanSilverAlertCoalition
WyethRuthven,ExecutiveDirector
4320OldDominionDrive,Suite509
Arlington,VA22207
SilverAlertBill.com