The devastating loss of Coquitlam grandfather Shin Noh hasn't been enough to prompt the B.C. or the federal governments to consider setting up a silver alert program, yet it seems like such a simple - and good - idea.
Modelled after Amber Alert for abducted children, a silver alert would be used when elderly people with dementia or Alzheimer's go missing. In such a case, once the police have the facts in hand, a silver alert could be used to alert commercial radio stations, internet radio, satellite radio, television stations, social media, traditional media and cable TV as well as billboards and, possibly, text messages to relay information.
It might not always result in the person being found, or might be overkill when someone loses track of a loved one and panics before finding them close to home, but on balance, a silver alert would speed up the dissemination of information, something which was a problem in the case of Shin Noh last September, when sightings came too late to be followed up on.
This newspaper, and the family of Shin Noh, has gone on record in supporting a silver alert program to no avail.
Thankfully, not everyone is waiting for government to take action. A group of technically savvy individuals, including Michael Coyle of Coquitlam Search and Rescue, and supporters of the Noh family have formed BC Silver Alert, a citizen-run program that uses social media such as Twitter and Facebook to send out information, gleaned from police reports, about missing elderly people.
This is a great idea, and although only in its infancy, has already been used in the case of a missing person in Richmond.
But while we applaud this citizens' effort, we worry that it might not be as thorough and as far-reaching as a government-run program with greater resources.
While BC Silver Alert shows the community will take care of itself, we worry that when a life is at stake, community spirit and goodwill may not be enough.
