29-15-3.5. Turquoise alert advisory.
486 words·~2 min read·
/nm/chapter-29-law-enforcement/article-15-missing-persons-information-and-reporting/29-15-3-5·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
A. The department of public safety or the lead investigating law enforcement agency shall issue a turquoise alert if, after review and investigation of a missing person report of a person subject to the alert, the department of public safety or the lead investigating law enforcement agency makes an independent determination that the missing person is a person subject to the alert.
B. The department of public safety shall develop and implement a turquoise alert plan for the purpose of disseminating, as rapidly as possible, information about a person subject to the alert. The plan shall:
(1)provide a procedure for the department to notify the lead station that a turquoise alert has been declared. The procedure shall include codes for use by the department in communicating with the lead station to prevent false alerts;
(2)provide a procedure in which other state and private print, radio, television or other media may alert members of the public of the missing person;
(3)include a procedure for notifying the department of information technology that a turquoise alert has been declared. The department of information technology shall immediately transmit the notification and related information to all state field operations employees so that they may be aware and vigilant in the course of their regular activities;
(4)require cellular service companies to implement turquoise alerts in accordance with the federal communications commission's wireless emergency alerts processes. The alert from cellular service companies shall only be required after a determination by the department of public safety or the lead investigating law enforcement agency that there is evidence of imminent danger of serious bodily harm to or death of the missing person and that there is enough descriptive information about the missing person to assist in locating that person;
(5)include a procedure for notifying all local and federal law enforcement agencies that a turquoise alert has been declared;
(6)provide for dissemination of information about the missing person to the lead station, the department of information technology and local law enforcement agencies when a turquoise alert has been declared; and
(7)provide for collecting and maintaining the following records regarding each turquoise alert issued:
(a)the municipality where the missing person report originated;
(b)the age of the missing person;
(c)the gender of the missing person;
(d)the date of the missing person report;
(e)the date the turquoise alert is issued; and
(f)the date of recovery of the missing person.
C. The department of public safety shall distribute the turquoise alert notification plan to all local law enforcement agencies and provide such training and other assistance as is necessary to ensure that the plan can be properly implemented.
D. Once a turquoise alert has been declared, only the department of public safety or the lead investigating law enforcement agency may terminate the turquoise alert.
History: 1978 Comp., § 29-15-3.5, enacted by Laws 2025, ch. 58, § 2.