Indiana’s very own Green Alert became state law over the summer. The first-ever usage of that Green Alert ended in success.
Indiana’s Green Alert is similar to an AMBER Alert but intended for missing veterans who may be in danger. It passed through the Indiana General Assembly this session after several years of attempts and became law July 1st. It was finally put to use last week.
Justin Cavin is a veteran who was reported missing from the west side of Indianapolis the week of September 8th. The Green Alert was issued Monday, September 16th and by Thursday, September 19th, Indianapolis Metro Police had found Cavin.
He was safe.
“When I authored House Enrolled Act 1021, I knew that if it helped bring one at-risk veteran home safely then all of my time in the General Assembly would be well worth it,” said Democrat State Representative Mitch Gore of Indianapolis in a Friday press release, “the safety of Hoosier veterans should be a top priority for the state, and creating an alert lets our veterans and their families know that if they go missing, we will find them. This week, we saw the Green Alert system used to bring a veteran home to their loved ones.
“I am so thankful that we were able to safely locate Mr. Cavin after his disappearance earlier this week. Specifically, I want to thank Indiana State Police’s missing person clearinghouse and the detectives of the IMPD for working together to successfully administer the first Green Alert. Getting this law passed and signed into effect was important, but for it to have a positive impact in Hoosiers’ lives, we needed the leadership of our public safety agencies to put it into action with care and precision, just as they did here. It’s important that we care for and support our veterans both at home and abroad.”
Relief is the feeling from IMPD Chief Chris Bailey, “this first-ever green alert highlights the crucial role we all play in protecting our veterans. I am incredibly relieved that Mr. Cavin has been located safe. This successful outcome demonstrates the power of community awareness and collaboration by law enforcement agencies.”
