Arizona Rolls Out Turquoise Alert for Missing Persons

Arizona has launched the Turquoise Alert system, a statewide program aimed at locating missing persons under 65, with a focus on supporting Tribal communities facing a crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Also known as Emily’s Law, the alert is named after 14-year-old Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache teen whose disappearance and death inspired the legislation. The bill received unanimous approval from state lawmakers and was signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs in May. The system activates when all local resources are exhausted and a person is missing under suspicious or dangerous circumstances, issuing alerts via TV, radio, highway signs, and mobile phones. The initiative has strong support from Indigenous leaders, including the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and is seen as a key step in addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis. While the law takes full effect in September, the alert system has begun early implementation.