Missing person alert popped up on your phone? Here’s why you got it

The alerts received on cell phones Thursday were startling.

Needham police reported a missing 18-year-old, Cole Davison.

The alerts were sent to wireless phones miles away from Needham as a massive search was underway along Needham’s South Street.

The cell phone alerts were sent because Cole Davison met the criteria of a missing or endangered person.

“When it comes to public alerting, we have a bunch of different tools in the toolbox, and that’s exactly what you want because every emergency situation is different,” Sara Porter from the Massachusetts Management Agency told me.

Porter said while most people are familiar with Amber Alerts for Child abductions or Silver Alerts for missing seniors, the alert for Cole Davison was an M.E.P., or missing or endangered people

“A missing or endangered person could be someone with autism, dementia, someone who has expressed suicidal ideation. So really keeping it to people who we are extra concerned about because of certain conditions,” Porter said.

The Needham alert was sent to a wide geographic area.

In Braintree, police have issued a similar alert in their search for 76-year-old missing senior citizen, William O’Neill, but that alert was limited to the Braintree area.

“We don’t want to over-alert people who don’t need to know so we can keep it to a very small geographic area,” Sara Porter said.

Law Enforcement and Security Expert Todd McGhee told me he believes the wireless alert system is an important tool in missing persons cases.

“Law enforcement can’t be everywhere at the same time. So, when law enforcement utilizes and leverages technology, utilizes resources like this, and partners with the general public and then exercises the force multiplier effect, that’s a great public safety best practice,” McGhee said.

This alert system has been in place for 14 years in Massachusetts.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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