The “Silver Alert” program in Illinois currently notifies the public when someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s can’t be found. Dan Swanson, State Representative for the 74th District says lost veterans should also be included. “Much like an Amber Alert for children, the Silver Alerts for veterans would be issued in a similar way to alert the issue of endangered or missing older adults,” Swanson said. Alerts to the public include highway signs, text alerts, and broadcast messages. While veterans make up less than 9 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 19 percent of all suicides in America. HB4212 is similar to a measure passed in Wisconsin recently. A Milwaukee-area veteran, Corey Adams, suffering from PTSD and Bipolar disorder after three deployments, went missing for 18 days – despite his family filing missing person’s reports. Milwaukee police found his body in a pond a mile away from his parent’s home where he was last seen alive. Lawmakers return to Springfield next week for the start of the spring legislative session.
