Missing Puyallup Tribal member Besse Handy

Washington’s first-in-the-nation Missing Indigenous Persons alert deemed success

Denise Gee Peacock | February 6, 2025

More than two years ago, Washington became the first state to implement alerts for missing Indigenous people. Today, law enforcement officials say the alerts—enacted in response to statistics showing that Indigenous persons go missing at a higher rate than other groups—have proved crucial in locating missing teens, many of whom can become victims of trafficking. […]