​The California Statewide Ebony Alert Program was introduced through Senate Bill 673 and became law in 2024, later amended by Assembly Bill 173, established California Government Code Section 8594.14.  An Ebony Alert is a resource available to law enforcement agencies investigating the suspicious or unexplainable disappearance of a black woman or black person.  The Ebony Alert will provide immediate information to the public to aid in the swift recovery of missing black persons. 

Ebony Alert Criteria

In order for an Ebony Alert to be activated, a law enforcement agency may consider that the following criteria have been met. (Government Code section 8594.14):

1. The missing person is between 12 to 25 years of age, inclusive.

2. The investigating law enforcement agency has used all available local resources and at least one of the following conditions are met.

(A) The law enforcement agency determines that the person has gone missing under

unexplained circumstances or suspicious circumstances, including circumstances that indicate any of the following:

(i) The missing person’s physical safety may be endangered.

(ii) The missing person may be subject to trafficking.

(B) The law enforcement agency believes that the person is in danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, environment or weather conditions, that the person is in the company of a potentially dangerous person, or that there are other factors indicating that the person may be in peril.

3. Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) shall be broadly construed in order to effectuate the legislative intent of this section.

What should the public do?

Every member of the community can play an important role in an Ebony Alert.  If you have information about one that has occurred, call 911 immediately to report it.  Be prepared to provide the location, any relevant descriptions and make, model, color, and license plate number (if possible) of any vehicle involved.  Even the smallest piece of information can be the piece that leads to a successful recovery. 

​Click on the buttons below to learn more about each alert and the program