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AMBER, Blue, Silver, Camo: What do all these alerts mean?

The most common alerts are AMBER, Silver, Blue, Endangered Missing Persons, Camo and CLEAR Alert Programs.

In short, the alert contains information regarding a missing person or a violent criminal who has not been captured. The alerts are issued in urgent situations and each one has specific criteria. Only a law enforcement agency can make a request to activate the State Network.

What is the State Network?

The State Network includes Texas Department of Transportation, National Weather Service, Law Enforcement, Media, Texas Lottery Commission, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Texas Department of Public Safety.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) coordinates with the other agencies to get missing person advisories out to the public.

“The goal of the State Network is to rapidly notify the public of specific missing person cases, promoting tips and leads to law enforcement,” according to the Texas Department of Public Safety website.

What is an AMBER alert?

AMBER Alerts inform the public of serious child abductions, in an effort to promote tips and leads to law enforcement. In memory of the tragic death of Amber Hagerman, the letters of her name can be seen within the title of the program, America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER).

Criteria for AMBER Alert and additional information can be found here. 

What is a Silver alert?

Silver alerts notify the public of missing older adults with a documented mental condition who may have wandered, such as those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Criteria for Silver alert and additional information can be found here.

What is a Blue alert?

Blue Alerts are designed to help with the capture of violent criminals who killed or seriously wounded local, state or federal law enforcement officers. During a Blue Alert, the public receives information regarding the suspect with the hope of law enforcement receiving tips and leads from the public.

Criteria for Blue Alert and additional information can be found here.

What is an Endangered Missing Persons alert?

The Endangered Missing Persons alert is similar to wandering incidents in older adults in the Silver Alert. It covered those with intellectual disabilities such as Autism, Developmental Disorders and more.

Criteria for Endangered Missing Persons Alert and additional information can be found here.

What is a Camo alert?

The state’s Camo Alert program is designed to notify the public of a missing current or former member of the United States armed forces as those struggling with mental illness can isolate themselves and disappear without notice.

Criteria for Camo alert and additional information can be found here.

What is a CLEAR alert?

The state’s Coordinated Law Enforcement Adult Rescue (CLEAR) Alert program is designed to assist law enforcement in locating and rescuing missing, kidnapped or abducted adults, or adults who are in immediate danger of injury or death, as well as aid in locating any potential suspects.

Criteria for CLEAR Alert and additional information can be found here.

More information:

For more information on alerts, check out the Department of Public Safety’s alerts page here.

A list of activated alerts can be found here.

To subscribe to alerts, visit the receive alerts page of the Department of Public Safety website here.

Additional information on cell phone alerts can be found here.