Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli reacted with joy and relief when told that two upstate residents were found unharmed, partly due to the alert system legislation that he wrote and sponsored. “Tell me this alert system doesn’t matter”, Magnarelli said.

Yesterday afternoon, a Baldwinsville man was reported missing from Onondaga County and then was located this morning in Ontario County. Also earlier in the week, a Town of Tonawanda woman was located after being missing for two hours. In both cases, a Missing Adult Alert was sent throughout New York State, informing police agencies and others through a vast communication network of the description, identities, and specifics of the missing adults. Without the new legislation just signed into law approximately three months ago, a missing person report could be filed only after 24 hours had passed. With this legislation, notification is sent immediately.

Starting almost four years ago in 2008, Assemblyman Magnarelli proposed legislation, modeled after the successful “Amber Alert” system, that would create a similar warning system for vulnerable adults who went missing. Assemblyman Magnarelli said, “It is unfortunate that we need this type of alert for elderly and vulnerable adults who may have disabilities or are in distress; however, this is a common-sense law using communication tools that are already in place to save lives.”