Advocates defend emergency alert timing after complaints over missing teen notification
Turquoise Alert system questioned online after 5 a.m. notification
The Turquoise Alert for a missing Mesa teen is sparking an online debate about its timing and effectiveness. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean has the details.
MESA, Ariz. - UPDATE: Police say 16-year-old Yolyn Hermios has been found safe. Our previous story is below.
A Turquoise Alert for a missing Mesa teenager is sparking debate online over the system's effectiveness and timing.
What we know:
Yolyn Hermios, 16, was last seen walking Saturday evening near Broadway and Dobson roads. Her family says it is completely out of character for Hermios to be out of touch, prompting police to issue the alert.
The timing of the alert, however, created confusion and frustration online, with many questioning the system's effectiveness.
Turquoise Alerts are a new resource issued when a person under 65 goes missing and police are unsure of the circumstances or believe they could be in danger. The alerts are geo-targeted, meaning they are sent to mobile phones and electronic signs within a specific geographic area.
Around 5 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, some Arizonans were jolted awake by the alert on their phones. The timing led people to the comment section of the Mesa Police Department's Facebook page to complain.
READ MORE: What to know about the Turquoise Alert in Arizona
What they're saying:
Olivia Lemorocco, vice president of operations at Phillips Law Group, said that reaction misses the point.
"We have the AMBER Alert, we have the Silver Alert, and now we have a resource, a new tool, for that in-between, that covers more people who are at risk," Lemorocco said. "Having this Turquoise Alert, this alert is helping us to speed up finding missing persons."
The alert system was created through legislation passed in the Arizona House this past session. The law, referred to as Emily's Law, was inspired by Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache teen found murdered in February.
Lemorocco, who represents Emily's father in a wrongful death lawsuit, says Emily's case brought to light a gap in Arizona's public emergency system.
"While this law was made to protect primarily Indigenous people after Emily's Law, it doesn't exclude anybody," Lemorocco said. "It goes back to 'who's most vulnerable, and who needs our help?'"
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Dig deeper:
This was the third Turquoise Alert sent out since the system launched in July. The other two alerts issued in Arizona both ended in the safe return of the missing people.
Hermios is still missing as of Monday, Nov. 3. Regardless of the time an alert is sent, Lemorocco urges the public to prioritize helping find any missing person.
"When you get those alerts, be aware," she said. "If there's any description in it, remember it, go on your social media if you can share the story with people, just talk about it."
What you can do:
Anyone with information about Yolyn Hermios can contact the Mesa Police Department by clicking here.