Purple, Silver, Blue, Amber and Missing Child Alerts are all intended to assist Florida law enforcement in locating missing people.
Ginny Beagan, Wochit
- A Purple Alert has been issued for Joseph Cheatham, missing from his home in Tallahassee.
- If you’ve seen Joseph Cheetham, here’s who to contact.
- Here’s what a purple alert is and how it differs from a silver alert.
Joseph Cheatham was last seen in Tallahassee on November 30.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an alert and asked for the public’s help in locating Cheatham.
Purple alert issued for missing Tallahassee man
A Florida Purple Alert was issued for Joseph Cheatham, 75, of Tallahassee.
Cheatham was last seen Nov. 30 in the 7100 block of Atascadero Lane in Tallahassee. He was wearing a light blue long-sleeved button-up shirt and khaki pants. Cheetham has a goat.
He may be traveling in a 2018, gray Honda Accord, FL tag number IRXT38.
Have information about Joseph Cheetham? who to call
Anyone with information about Cheatham’s location should call the Leon County Sheriff’s Office at 850-606-3300 or 911.
What is Purple Alert Florida?
Florida Purple Alerts are used to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from:
- A mental or cognitive disability that is not Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder;
- intellectual disability or developmental disability;
- traumatic brain injury; other physical, mental, or emotional disabilities not related to substance abuse;
- The combination of any of these and the omission of which creates a credible threat of immediate danger or serious physical harm.
The alert notifies the public using email or text alerts throughout the state, focusing on the area where the person was last seen.
Florida’s Purple Alert plan was added to FDLE’s emergency alert system in 2022.
Purple alert activated in Florida
There are currently eight active purple alerts in Florida, ranging from the alert issued for Cheatham on November 30 to the alert issued for Herbert Lee McKinnon on June 9, 2022.
For more information on each active Purple Alert.
How long does a person remain on the Purple Alert list?
According to FDLE, a local law enforcement agency determines the alert status, but typically, the alert remains active until the missing person is recovered.
If the Purple Alert is activated and the person is missing in the identified vehicle, the Department of Transportation road signs will be activated and will remain active for six hours.
Sign up to receive Purple Alerts via email
Sign up to receive Florida Purple Alerts straight to your email. You can be notified as soon as an alert is issued to help safely locate a missing adult.
When did Florida’s Purple Alert program start?
Florida’s Purple Alert Plan was established by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on July 1, 2021, with an effective date of July 1, 2022.
What is the difference between a Silver Alert and Purple Alert in Florida?
Florida Silver Alert is used to locate missing persons age 60 or older suffering from irreversible decline of intellectual abilities such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The Florida Silver Alert plan outlines two levels of Silver Alert activation: local and state.
Florida Purple Alert is used to locate missing people who have…n Intellectual or developmental disability that is not Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder.
- The individual is 18 years of age or older and is not eligible for a state-level Silver Alert.
- An investigation has located the missing person:
- Have any combination of the following: intellectual or developmental disability, brain injury; or any other physical, mental, or emotional disability not related to substance abuse
- Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is not a disorder.
- Has your law-enforcement agency’s investigation concluded that the disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or serious bodily harm to the missing person and that they can only be returned to safety through law-enforcement intervention?
- Is there any detailed description of the missing person suitable for distribution?
- Has your agency registered a missing person with the Florida Crime Information Center?
- Does the jurisdiction’s law-enforcement agency recommend activation?
How is Purple Alert activated?
If a loved one is missing you should contact your local law-enforcement agency immediately. According to FDLE, the law-enforcement agency will take a report and determine whether a purple alert is appropriate.
If the agency determines that the case meets the criteria for a Purple Alert, it will contact the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse. Only law enforcement can request a Purple Alert.
How do you get a purple alert?
You can sign up to receive Purple Alerts by subscribing to email or text alerts.
How do you file a missing person’s report?
Contact the local law-enforcement agency of the jurisdiction where the missing person was last seen.
What are the different color alerts in Florida?
- AMBER Alert: The purpose of an AMBER Alert is to disseminate critical information about an abducted child to the media and general public as quickly as possible.
- Missing Child Alerts: This program helps provide law enforcement with a tool to immediately disseminate information when a child is missing and life-threatening, but there is no indication that the child has been abducted.
- Purple Alert: Florida Purple Alert is used to assist in the location of missing adults who have a mental or cognitive disability.
- Silver Alert: Florida Silver Alert is used to locate missing persons suffering from irreversible decline in intellectual abilities.
- Blue Alert: A Florida Blue Alert is designed to notify the public of important information when a law enforcement officer is killed, suffers serious bodily injury, or goes missing in the line of duty and the suspect, who is considered an imminent threat to the public, is still at large.
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