The Arizona Department of Public Safety is stepping up its efforts to assist those who go missing under dangerous circumstances with the launch of the Turquoise Alert system. According to a news conference released on Thursday, this new initiative puts a spotlight on endangered individuals, including tribal community members under the age of 65 who are missing and in potential danger.
Named "Emily's Law" in memory of San Carlos Apache tribal member Emily Pike, the law backing the Turquoise Alert was signed by Governor Katie Hobbs on May 13th, 2025. The system is set to swiftly activate when someone goes missing in unexplained or suspicious circumstances and is confirmed to be endangered. To issue an alert, several criteria must be met, which crucially include having sufficient information to assist in their recovery and having had local law enforcement exhaust all available resources.
Once activated, these alerts can make a major difference in recovery efforts as they are widely broadcast through various channels, the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), and messaging systems such as the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) vehicle boards. They will also make use of social media platforms and deliver an All-Points Bulletin (APB) broadcast to law enforcement agencies all over Arizona. Colonel Jeffrey Glover, Director of the AZDPS, emphasized the importance of the new system, stating, "By empowering the public with timely, actionable information, we can make a critical difference in locating those who are missing and bringing them home safely."
