A story today on STLtoday.com notes that Missouri authorities have started a new system to notify the public and the media about missing people. This system joins the current “Amber Alerts” ^[1] and “SARAA Alerts” that have been issued for missing children in the past.

The “Endangered Person Advisory” was used in the case of Ben Ownby, who disappeared in early January and was discovered Jan. 12 with Shawn Hornbeck.

The story today says ^[2]:

The effort is lauded by advocacy groups but viewed with a little hesitation by some who fear overwhelming the public.

In January, the Missouri Highway Patrol created an Endangered Person Advisory to notify news media and local law enforcement. It has been used three times. The first was for a child, William “Ben” Ownby, missing for four days from Franklin County. The initial report of his disappearance did not meet the stricter criteria for a full Amber Alert.

I confess: We see Amber Alerts in the newsroom and wonder if it’s a domestic dispute between two feuding ex-spouses. Do you think there’s a chance that too many advisories will overwhelm us? Is there a risk of a “crying wolf” syndrome?