The New Orleans City Council directed the New Orleans Police Department to create a program for alerting the public when vulnerable individuals go missing, after the disappearance of 12-year-old Bryan Vasquez last month didn’t meet the federal criteria for triggering an Amber Alert.
The motion, approved unanimously by the City Council on Thursday, directs NOPD and other city agencies to establish a “more expansive local missing person safety alert program for children, seniors, and vulnerable adults” utilizing either the city’s NOLA Ready text alert system or another platform.
Council Vice President Helena Moreno’s office crafted the motion alongside NOPD, the Orleans Parish Communications District and the city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in direct response to Vasquez’ disappearance…