Urgent! Mom Fights to Change Amber Alert After Son's Tragic Loss
A Mother's Mission: Reforming the Amber Alert System
Brandi Morey-Pols, a grieving mother from Michigan, is on a mission to overhaul the state's Amber Alert system after the tragic murder-suicide of her six-year-old son, Rowan Morley. Rowan was killed by his father during a weekend visit in August of last year, a loss that has fueled Morey-Pols' determination to prevent similar tragedies.
Morey-Pols recounts the agonizing 52 hours Rowan was missing, during which she was repeatedly told by police that issuing an Amber Alert was “almost impossible” due to existing legal limitations. Current laws require a judge's approval before an alert can be activated, a process she believes is too slow and cumbersome in critical situations.
Proposed Changes to the Amber Alert System
Morey-Pols is advocating for changes that would streamline the Amber Alert process, bypassing judicial approval and going directly to the Michigan State Police. Her proposed reforms would also expand the criteria for issuing alerts to include parental kidnapping, children with special needs, and runaways.
“It’s going to bypass any judges and go straight to the Michigan State Police, and it will include parental kidnap, children with special needs, and runaways,” Morey-Pols stated. She was in the midst of a custody battle when Rowan's father failed to return him after a visitation, and she felt helpless as law enforcement's hands were tied.
The Rowan Project: Raising Awareness and Preventing Domestic Violence
In addition to her efforts to reform the Amber Alert system, Morey-Pols has established the Rowan Project, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence issues. The project aims to create a domestic violence registry, similar to a sex offender registry, to warn potential future victims of domestic abuse.
In related news, a three-year-old who was the subject of an Amber Alert in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, was found safe, highlighting the importance and effectiveness of such systems when implemented effectively.