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B.C. mom disheartened with no result after 18 months advocating for missing-adult alert

香蕉视频直播業 believe it can be done, I believe it should be done and nothing is being done,香蕉视频直播 says Alina Durham
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Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene香蕉视频直播檚 Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

It香蕉视频直播檚 been a year and a half since Alina Durham began advocating to get a missing-adult alert in place in memory of her daughter, yet nothing has been done.

Shaelene Keeler Bell, a 23-year-old Chilliwack mother, went missing on Jan. 30, 2021. Her in the Fraser River near Coquitlam.

Ever since, Durham has been trying to get a bill passed for Shaelene香蕉视频直播檚 Missing Adult Alert. It would be similar to an Amber Alert, but would be for adults who go missing under suspicious circumstances and are at risk of imminent danger or death.

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She香蕉视频直播檚 having a public event on Monday, Jan. 30 to spread the word.

Durham said the adult alert would be a 香蕉视频直播渨in-win香蕉视频直播 as law enforcement can always use more eyes and ears, and the public香蕉视频直播檚 help when looking for missing persons. Plus the infrastructure for the National Public Alerting System is already in place and can be expanded to add more alerts.

Over the past 18 months, she has emailed, called and met with countless officials trying to get answers.

To name a few, she香蕉视频直播檚 reached out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Governor General Mary Simon, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, plus other federal and provincial ministers and several members of police services.

Not one person that she has spoken with is opposed to the alert, she said, yet there has been no progress.

香蕉视频直播淚 believe it can be done, I believe it should be done and nothing is being done,香蕉视频直播 she said.

Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene聮s Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene香蕉视频直播檚 Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

One of the first people she called was Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl who, after more than a year, is still working to get answers.

香蕉视频直播淢y staff and I have conducted many hours of research and have been in touch with legal and law enforcement experts and officials,香蕉视频直播 Strahl said in an emailed statement to The Progress. 香蕉视频直播淲e have learned that there is no federal or provincial legislation in place with respect to the Amber Alert System, rather it is a voluntary partnership between relevant law enforcement organizations.香蕉视频直播

Durham knows the Amber Alert, which was launched in B.C. in 2004, is very effective. According to RCMP, all Amber Alert activations have successfully ended with all individuals being safely located.

She now wants to get the age limit removed from the Amber Alert criteria.

香蕉视频直播淓ven if the 香蕉视频直播榰nder the age of 18香蕉视频直播 requirement was removed, all the other requirements would still need to be met for an expanded Amber Alert system to be effective,香蕉视频直播 Strahl noted.

Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene聮s Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene香蕉视频直播檚 Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

Durham was told that having such an alert in place might overload the emergency system, but she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 buy that. She believes if the criteria are followed, people will not be receiving constant alerts on their phones.

香蕉视频直播淎nd if it is getting overloaded, then it香蕉视频直播檚 worse than what we even imagined.香蕉视频直播

Strahl added that another issue is that adults have a right to privacy and, as stated in the B.C. Provincial Policing Standards for Missing Persons, going missing is not in and of itself a crime.

香蕉视频直播淭his provides a challenge for law enforcement when it comes to issuing public notifications about missing persons,香蕉视频直播 Strahl said.

Durham believes Mendicino, Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Public Safety Minister, is the one who has the authority to get the adult alert in place. She hasn香蕉视频直播檛 gotten far with a response from him, and neither has Strahl.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 disappointed that I haven香蕉视频直播檛 yet received a response from the Minister of Public Safety, despite my numerous efforts to engage with him to determine if there are ways to improve the system for missing adults right now,香蕉视频直播 Strahl said. 香蕉视频直播淲hile it appears as though there will not be a simple fix to this issue, I will continue to raise it with law enforcement officials.香蕉视频直播

Jan. 30 marks two years since Bell went missing. Durham is hosting an event on Monday (Jan. 30) at 6 p.m. in the parking lot of Townsend Park in Chilliwack. There will be a moment of silence at 6:30 p.m.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e come to the point where I think I香蕉视频直播檝e been fair, I think I香蕉视频直播檝e been patient and it香蕉视频直播檚 been two years (since Bell went missing) and we香蕉视频直播檝e got nothing,香蕉视频直播 Durham said. 香蕉视频直播淣ow I香蕉视频直播檓 starting to get really, really disheartened.

香蕉视频直播淚 want it to move forward. I want it to be taken seriously. Let香蕉视频直播檚 save a life. It香蕉视频直播檚 shameful that there香蕉视频直播檚 nothing in place.香蕉视频直播

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A photo of Shaelene Bell is seen in her mother Alina Durham聮s home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene聮s Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
A photo of Shaelene Bell is seen in her mother Alina Durham香蕉视频直播檚 home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene香蕉视频直播檚 Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)


 

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Jenna Hauck

About the Author: Jenna Hauck

I started my career at The Chilliwack Progress in 2000 as a photojournalist.
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