BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There is a renewed push here in Western New York to bring the "Ebony Alert" system to New York State.
You're likely very familiar with an AMBER Alert for kids, or a Silver Alert for older people who go missing. In California, they also have an "Ebony Alert" to notify the public when a Black person goes missing.
Here in Buffalo, numerous people are advocating for the Ebony Alert system following the recent discovery of Jaylen Griffin's body years after he went missing. Griffin was only 12 when he disappeared in 2020. His body was found in the attic of a home in Buffalo last month.
"They're often listed as a runaway which would allow 40 percent of the resources to be used than if it were just a regular missing person," explains Kareema Morris, founder of Bury The Violence which helps find missing and runaway children.
Morris believes if an Amber Alert had been issued, Griffin would still be alive today.
Morris is working to bring the Ebony Alert System to New York.
"The Ebony Alert push would be inclusive of Black and young adolescents that go missing or are deemed a runaway. It would give us the opportunity for a push versus being pushed to the side," says Morris.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 40 percent of people reported missing every year are Black or African American but it says they receive less media coverage and are often labeled as "runaways," so no Amber Alert is issued.
Morris also explains, the Amber Alert is, "not inclusive of different age ranges which we've had multiple women gone missing and there wasn't an alert for them. There were boots-on-the-ground efforts from community organizations with no to little commitment from law enforcement."
California established the nation's first-ever Ebony Alert System in 2023 and Morris hopes New York is next.
"With the alert, you'll get a push notification. Everybody's not on social media, everybody doesn't watch the news but if you disrupt someone's phone you're going to get their attention," says Morris.
She is urging more people to sign a petition supporting new legislation, you can learn more here.
Dontaya Davis and Rev. Denise Walden-Glenn joined 7 Voices on Wednesday to discuss the importance of the push to bring the Ebony Alert system to NYS as well. You can watch the full conversation below.
