In a significant step forward for citizen protection and public safety in the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader has signed Law 25-26 into effect, formally establishing the National Alert for the Search for Missing Persons, widely known as Alertas RD. This newly launched integrated system is engineered to deliver fast, well-coordinated responses to cases of missing people across every region of the country.
The new legislation lays out a clear legal foundation that enables immediate, widespread sharing of information about individuals who have been reported missing, by uniting the efforts of three key stakeholder groups: national and local government agencies, print, broadcast and digital media outlets, and civil society organizations focused on public safety. Per the requirements outlined in the statute, the Dominican National Police and the Public Ministry are mandated to jointly issue a public alert no later than 24 hours after a disappearance report is filed or a case of imminent danger is confirmed.
To address the unique risks facing different vulnerable groups, Alertas RD operates through four targeted, specialized alert classifications. The Amber Alert category is reserved for missing or abducted children and teenagers, while the Silver Alert designation applies to missing adults over the age of 65. People living with physical or cognitive disabilities are covered under the Blue Alert framework, and Pink Alerts are issued for women facing immediate harm linked to gender-based violence or human trafficking. Once activated, alerts are distributed across a wide network of channels, including major social media platforms, traditional broadcast and print media, ports, airports and bus terminals, public digital platforms, and official police bulletins posted across communities.
Beyond the alert dissemination framework, Law 25-26 also formally establishes the National Registry of Missing Persons, a centralized national database overseen by the National Police. This repository will store critical information including up-to-date photographs of missing individuals, detailed physical descriptions, relevant medical data, and real-time updates on the status of each search, all while putting strict protocols in place to protect the personal privacy rights of everyone included in the system. The law also creates a permanent National Council for the Search for Missing Persons, which is tasked with overseeing the rollout of the new system and facilitating cross-agency coordination between key government institutions involved in search efforts.
To ensure accountability for public servants involved in the process, the new legislation outlines formal penalties for government officials who fail to properly report disappearance cases or intentionally obstruct the standardized search protocols laid out in the law. With the official enactment of Alertas RD, Dominican national officials have outlined clear core goals: to overall boost citizen security across the country, streamline and improve the effectiveness of missing person search operations, and expand protective measures for the vulnerable populations most at risk of disappearance and harm.