Wisconsin DOJ raises public awareness of Missing Child Alerts

WISCONSIN (CIVIC MEDIA) – The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) seeks to raise awareness for the importance of Wisconsin’s Missing Child Alerts more than one year after the program was created.

Missing Child Alerts notifies the public of missing children under specific circumstances. The program launched after 2023 Wisconsin Act 272, known as the Prince Act, was signed into law in April 2024. The Prince Act, named after 5-year-old Prince McCree who went missing in Milwaukee, expanded the criteria for issuing alerts by including children that are of a “person at risk.”

“Too many Wisconsin families know what it’s like for a loved one to go missing,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul in a statement. “The Missing Child Alert has added to the tools available that can help bring kids home safely.”

“The Missing Child Alert ensures that children across Wisconsin are no longer overlooked, and that their disappearances are met with the same urgency, public awareness, and state resources as those qualifying for
an AMBER Alert,” added State Senator LaTonya Johnson (D- Milwaukee), who co-authored the Prince Act. “This alert system isn’t just a procedural change, but a lifeline for families in distress and for law enforcement working against the clock to bring children home.”

Since administering the Missing Child Alerts in April 2024, 17 alerts were issued for 14 children ages four through 16. Four AMBER Alerts were posted in the same timeframe for five kids ages four through 16.

If someone you know is missing, contact local law enforcement to make a report. Local authorities will work with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and other law enforcement partners to find the missing person. The state DCI is the only entity that can issued a Missing Child Alert, AMBER Alert, and a Silver Alert. Local law enforcement is able to post a Missing Endangered Person Alert and Green Alert.

To receive any missing person and child alerts, visit the state DOJ Wisconsin Crime Alert Network website. Visit here for more information on the Prince Act and missing person alerts.