Seriously Missing Persons in Milwaukee; meeting the criteria

MILWAUKEE – What does it mean if someone is seriously missing?

Milwaukee Police Officer Keyona Vines said many scenarios fall under the term “critical disappearance.”

“We try to research them before releasing them to the media,” Vines said. “It could be that if someone is suicidal, they could be a military veteran suffering from PTSD.”

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Vines said it could be an abduction, someone with a medical condition requiring life-saving medication or someone with cognitive impairment. Then, it is the Department of Justice that determines whether an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert should be issued for that seriously missing person.

“That’s the key word: They have to be in danger for an Amber Alert to be issued,” Vines said.

A new law was put in place after 5-year-old Prince McCree went missing and was found dead in a dumpster in Milwaukee. It allows emergency alerts for missing children like McCree — who don't meet the stricter criteria for an Amber Alert, who can't return home without help or who are younger than 10 years old.

“There is no time constraint — if it’s an Amber Alert, we want to put it out immediately,” Vines said.

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When investigators find a seriously missing person, we do not always know where they were.

“We also need to understand that these people have rights and they may not want all of their information out,” Vines said.

MPD said if you report a missing person, be prepared to answer questions and know you don't have to wait 24 hours.

The MPD has more information about the different types of alerts on its website.

More information about missing persons can also be found on the MPD website.