COLORADO SPRINGS— The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) activated a Missing Indigenous Alert System Friday Dec. 30th. Indigenous people go missing at a higher rate than any other demographic in the nation.
It acts as an Amber Alert to notify all law enforcement in the state.
"This will give resources that we have not ever had before so this is what he need," said Carrie Howell with Native American Women's Association of Colorado Springs.
Once a missing Indigenous person is reported to police, they have eight hours to report an adult to CBI or two hours for a missing child. CBI verifies the missing person is Indigenous and police push the alert. To sign up for text or email notifications email cdps_cbi_missing@state.co.us.
"Now this looks like they do care because we are valuable," said Howell.
Howell is part of the Pawnee and Flandreau Santee Sioux tribes. She said she has friend's who daughters are still missing.
"It is very scary, you don't think this happens, only in the movies or something, but it's happening," said Howell.
Howell said this program brings her new hope as too many missing cases get forgotten.
Colorado is the second state, after Washington in July 2022, to activate this alert system. Washington State had promising results.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, they have 0 missing Indigenous people on file, although they rarely work with Tribal Police. This alert system aims to create a relationship between all law enforcement agencies and Tribal Police.
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