Added Protection for Missing Individuals

Added Protection for Missing Individuals Governor Ted Strickland signed Senate Bill 87 on March 21, 2008. Ohio Revised Code Section 5502.522 creates a statewide emergency alert program to find and help an individual with a mental impairment or someone who is 65 years of age or older. This alert program would include the efforts of the Governor’s office, the Department of Public Safety, the attorney general, law enforcement, public and commercial television stations, and radio broadcasters. It is similar to the 'Amber Alert' system for children who are missing, and is a result of the effectiveness of that program. The statewide emergency alert program uses the following criteria before it can be activated: The individual is confirmed as missing; There is a credible threat of immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death to the individual; and, There is enough information to describe the individual and the circumstances surrounding their disappearance that the activation of the alert will help locate the individual. Added to local and regional efforts, this statewide alert program provides a real opportunity to assist a missing individual.  Mental impairment is defined in R.C. 5502.522 as “a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, or ability to live independently or provide self-care as certified by a licensed physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist.”

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