Turquoise Alert used only once since launch despite hundreds missing in Arizona

Arizona’s new Turquoise Alert system, launched in July to help locate missing people, has been used only once, despite 278 reported missing persons statewide, according to Arizona Luminaria.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety database showed 275 missing children and three missing adults under 65 since the alert began July 10. To issue an alert, agencies must determine the person is in danger or that the disappearance is suspicious and must have exhausted other resources.

The only Turquoise Alert issued so far was for a 6-year-old girl from Hawaii who was found safe within an hour, according to Arizona Luminaria. The alert was established under “Emily’s Law,” named for 14-year-old Emily Pike of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, whose disappearance and murder earlier this year inspired the legislation.