Silver Alert Saves Lives in Texas

On Saturday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on the success Texas has experienced since deploying its Silver Alert system 7-months-ago...

A new statewide alert system to track down missing elderly Texas residents is 30 out of 30 -- 27 of them in time to save their lives, according to recently released statistics from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

That number for the 7-month-old Texas Silver Alert Network is astonishing, officials say, noting that the better-known Texas Amber Alert system has had just 38 alerts in the six years it's been in operation.

Congressman Bilirakis has introduced legislation that would provide for a national Silver Alert grant program, which would empower states with the seed money to implement their own Silver Alert notification systems.

Bilirakis's legislation would also require the U.S. Attorney General to report to Congress on the experiences of states with existing Silver Alert systems to help guide their establishment in other states. The Silver Alert program in Texas will certainly be a good starting point.