Silver, amber and blue: What you need to know about Indiana missing persons alerts

Everyone knows the startling tone of an Amber Alert.

When a person is missing and in danger, police have a few options. So what's the difference?

Amber and Silver Alerts are activated by the Indiana Clearinghouse, a statewide repository for all missing persons information founded in 2009. Police contact the Clearinghouse to issue alerts.

All alerts must be requested by local police and signal community members that an individual is in danger. The difference between each alert depends on age, available evidence and type of danger.

Silver Alert vs. Amber Alert

"Every (missing) child isn't necessarily an Amber Alert," Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said.

Amber Alerts signal the highest priority, Perrine said. They're used sparingly so the public remains sensitive to the urgency of the alert.

Silver and Amber Alerts are issued when someone is in danger, but Perrine said it depends what kind of danger is present.

"The danger that somebody could be facing in a Silver Alert could be that they need medication or they need medical treatment, maybe not in danger of violence. Typically in an Amber Alert the danger is violence," Perrine said.

Silver alerts are sent out for missing and endangered adults or children, or people who are at high risk or have a cognitive disability. A detailed description of the person is also required for Silver Alert broadcasts.

Missing people included in social media are broadcasted differently. Silver Alerts make use of social media or news releases, Perrine said.

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When Amber Alerts are issued

Amber Alerts are reserved for missing children who were likely abducted and police believe they're in serious danger. Amber Alerts have the strictest criteria.

Amber Alerts are broadcasted widely and often use the cellphone alert system, while Silver Alerts do not. A detailed description of the child is required before an alert is broadcasted.

As of May 1, Amber Alerts have helped recover 1,114 children.

Amber stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It's the legacy to Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas. Her 1996 death prompted the creation of a new warning system for missing children and the idea spread across the U.S.

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What is a Blue Alert?

Blue alerts are rare, Perrine said.

These alerts warn people when an officer is in danger, killed or seriously injured and a suspect has not been located. Blue alerts also are used when an officer goes missing while on duty and the circumstances around their disappearance cause concern for the officer's safety.

In more than 20 years, Perrine said he hasn't experienced a blue alert.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What is a silver alert? An amber alert? Here's what you need to know.