Purple Alert, Blue Alert, Silver Alert and Amber Alerts in Florida
Purple, Silver, Blue, Amber and Missing Child Alerts are all intended to assist Florida law enforcement in locating missing people.
Ginny Beagan, Wochit
- A Purple Alert has been issued for Joseph Cheatham, missing from his Tallahassee home.
- Here’s who to contact if you’ve seen Joseph Cheatham.
- Here’s what a Purple Alert is and how it differs from a Silver Alert.
A Purple Alert has been issued for a Florida man missing from his Tallahassee home.
Joseph Cheatham was last seen Nov. 30 in Tallahassee.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued the alert and is asking the public for help in finding Cheatham.
Purple Alert issued for missing Tallahassee man
A Florida Purple Alert was issued for Joseph Cheatham, 75, of Tallahassee.
Cheatham was last seen Nov. 30 in the 7100 block of Atascadero Lane in Tallahassee. He was wearing a light blue long-sleeved button-up shirt and khaki pants. Cheatham has a goatee.
He may be traveling in a 2018, gray Honda Accord, FL tag number IRXT38.
Have information on Joseph Cheatham? Who to call
Anyone with information about the location of Cheatham should call the Leon County Sheriff’s Office at 850-606-3300 or 911.
What is a Purple Alert Florida?
A Florida Purple Alert is used to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from:
- a mental or cognitive disability that is not Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder;
- an intellectual disability or a developmental disability;
- a brain injury; other physical, mental or emotional disabilities that are not related to substance abuse;
- a combination of any of these and whose disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or seriously bodily harm.
The alert notifies the public using email or text alerts throughout the state, with a focus on the area where the person was last seen.
Florida’s Purple Alert Plan was added to FDLE’s emergency alert system in 2022.
Purple Alerts active in Florida
There currently are eight active Purple Alerts in Florida, ranging from the one issued for Cheatham on Nov. 30 to one issued for Herbert Lee McKinnon on June 9, 2022.
For more details on each of the active Purple Alerts.
How long does someone remain on the Purple Alert list?
A local law enforcement agency determines the status of the alert, but generally, an alert stays active until the missing person is recovered, according to FDLE.
If a Purple Alert is activated and the person is missing in an identified vehicle, Department of Transportation road signs will be activated and remain active for up to six hours.
Sign up to receive Purple Alerts via email
Sign up to receive Florida Purple Alerts directly to your email. You can be notified as soon as an alert is issued to help with the safe recovery of a missing adult.
When did Florida’s Purple Alert Program begin?
Florida’s Purple Alert Plan was established by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on July 1, 2021, with an effective date of July 1, 2022.
What’s the difference between a Silver Alert and a Purple Alert in Florida?
The Florida Silver Alert is used to locate missing persons 60 or older suffering from an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The Florida Silver Alert Plan outlines two levels of Silver Alert activation: local and state.
The Florida Purple Alert is used to locate missing people who have an intellectual or developmental disability that is not Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder.
- The person is 18 years of age or older and does not qualify for a state level Silver Alert.
- An investigation has determined the missing person:
- Has any combination of the following: an intellectual or developmental disability, brain injury; or another physical, mental, or emotional disability that is not related to substance abuse and
- Does not have Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia related disorder.
- Has your law-enforcement agency’s investigation concluded the disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or serious bodily harm to the missing person and they can only be returned to safety through law-enforcement intervention?
- Is there a detailed description of the missing person suitable for distribution?
- Has your agency entered the missing person into the Florida Crime Information Center?
- Does the law-enforcement agency of jurisdiction recommend activation?
How does a Purple Alert get activated?
If you have a loved one missing you should contact your local law-enforcement agency immediately. The law-enforcement agency will take a report and determine if a Purple Alert is appropriate, according to FDLE.
If the agency determines the case meets the criteria for a Purple Alert, it will contact the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse. Only law enforcement can request a Purple Alert.
How do you receive a Purple Alert?
You can sign up to receive Purple Alerts by subscribing for email or text alerts.
How do you file a missing person report?
Contact the local law-enforcement agency of jurisdiction where the missing person was last seen.
What are the different color alerts in Florida?
- Amber alert: The purpose of the Amber Alert is to broadcast critical information of an abducted child as quickly as possible to the media and general public
- Missing Child Alerts: This program helps provide law enforcement with a tool to quickly disseminate information when a child is missing and believed to be in life-threatening danger, but there is no indication that the child has been abducted.
- Purple Alerts: The Florida Purple Alert is used to assist in the location of missing adults suffering from a mental or cognitive disability
- Silver Alerts: Florida Silver Alert is used to locate missing persons suffering from an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties.
- Blue Alerts: A Florida Blue Alert is designed to notify the public of critical information when a law enforcement officer is killed, suffered serious bodily injury, or is missing while in the line of duty and the suspect, who is considered to pose an imminent threat to the public, is still at large.
