Following the tragic death of 11-year-old Parker Wells, which has had a profound impact on his family, friends and community, Alberta’s government is taking steps to identify opportunities to strengthen the systems and processes in place when a vulnerable person goes missing.
Public Safety and Emergency Services will engage with law enforcement, disability advocates and other community partners to examine emergency alert processes when a vulnerable person goes missing, including a review of the Amber Alert system and its current criteria.
The engagement will bring together a range of perspectives and expertise to better understand the current system and identify potential opportunities for improvement. Feedback gathered through the engagement will help inform options for government to consider.
In addition, Assisted Living and Social Services will undertake a review of the policies, procedures and protocols of the service provider responsible for Parker’s care at the time he went missing. Alberta’s government is committed to understanding what happened and carefully considering any findings or recommendations that emerge from this review.
“Parker’s death is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our thoughts remain with his family and everyone who knew and loved him. We want to make sure we learn from what happened. By listening to law enforcement, disability advocates and community partners, we can better understand how emergency alerts are working today and what options should be considered for the future.”
“My deepest condolences go to the Wells family, their friends and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss. We will carefully review what happened and consider all recommendations to strengthen protections for vulnerable children.”
The Government of Alberta’s engagements will coincide with Calgary Police Service’s operational and investigation review.
Quick facts
- Police-issued emergency alerts are issued by authorized law enforcement agencies using the Alberta Emergency Alert system to notify the public during urgent incidents that meet established activation criteria.
- In Alberta, police emergency alerts are governed through a memorandum of understanding between Public Safety and Emergency Services, the RCMP and municipal and First Nation police services.
- Police in Alberta currently have access to the Amber Alert and civil emergency event types when established activation criteria are met.