A 34-year-old man reported missing in Vestavia Hills was located safe late Wednesday evening. Vestavia Hills police had asked the public to help locate Diamond Amos.
Vestavia Hills police issued the public appeal after Amos failed to turn up, as reported by WBRC. The department later updated its social media post, and WBRC reported that Amos was located and safe late Wednesday evening. Anyone with information had been asked to call 205-978-0139, the Vestavia Hills Police Department said.
The area includes an office center at 400 Vestavia Parkway and nearby corporate neighbors, according to LoopNet listings for the area.
What Triggers a Statewide Alert — and What Doesn't
Police have not said publicly whether they suspect foul play or a medical issue played a role in Amos's disappearance, and that distinction matters under Alabama law. State Missing and Endangered Person Alerts, known as MEPA, require proof of a physical or mental disability, dementia, or autism, or a reasonable belief by law enforcement that an adult has been abducted and is at risk of harm, per Alabama Code outlined by Justia. A 2023 legislative update expanded that criteria beyond medical conditions to also cover adult abduction cases.
Without meeting one of those thresholds, a case like Amos's proceeds as a local search rather than a statewide broadcast. Importantly, Alabama law enforcement agencies do not require a waiting period before accepting a missing person report or launching search activity, according to guidance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reported by WHNT. That means officers could move immediately once Amos was reported missing, regardless of how long he had been gone.
The state also has newer tools available if investigators determine they're needed. Alabama's CodeRED emergency notification system, launched in May 2021, can push geo-targeted missing person alerts directly to residents' phones and email, according to the Office of the Governor of Alabama. Residents can register for those local alerts by texting ALalerts to 99411. In August 2024, the FCC adopted an Emergency Alert System event code for Missing and Endangered Persons alerts; alerts may use existing Wireless Emergency Alert classifications.
A Department Covering a Growing Suburb
Vestavia Hills Police Department serves a suburban city of nearly 40,000 residents spread across Jefferson and Shelby counties, with 110 sworn officers and four civilian staff members on the roster, according to the City of Vestavia Hills. The department operates under Police Chief Shane Ware.
Police had asked anyone with information about Amos to call 205-978-0139.
