[Melissa Marchant]

Thank you Brian, I appreciate your response!

[Melissa Marchant]

I have a few questions regarding social media.
1. Do you use social media for alerts, other than AMBER (Missing Child Alert, Silver Alert, etc.)? What platforms? Yes, FB & Twitter
2. Do you allow comments? yes per policy
3. Do you provide a link on social media to the alert? yes
4. Do you have a state requirement to seal records once a missing person has been located? no
5. How do you deal with social media posts once a person has been located? Do you delete posts in consideration of the person’s privacy? I have started deleting images of kids but can’t in Twitter so that is frustrating. Does your agency have any restrictions on deleting posts? give the update located etc. we block the scam video comments

Sorry it’s late!

[Melissa Marchant]

In our CART deployments we have two analysts go and handle tips and leads. We rely on locals to actually take the tips, fill out a form and then the analysts populate the information on the FBI MACE Excel spreadsheet – share in Teams so everyone can see it and others can update it.

[Melissa Marchant]

Hi Nona!
I am the new AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Persons Program Manager in WI. I started in May! To answer your questions posted:

1. I’ve had 2 TV interviews since I started. My main role in those interviews was to talk about Wisconsin’s AMBER and Silver Alert programs. The Wausau, WI TV station did reach out I believe, in part, because of the national attention to the Gabby Petito case. This is what they took from my interview:
“We have had 10 activations and we have recovered all of our kids safely, and I believe quite quickly because of the Amber Alerts,” said Melissa Marchant, Wisconsin Amber Alert Coordinator.
The reporter at the end also stressed the importance of reporting immediately and that there is no waiting period to report a person missing which is what I stressed in my interview. She briefly mentioned Gabby’s case but never addressed why some have more attention than others.
https://waow.com/2021/09/20/law-enforcement-weigh-in-on-missing-persons-cases/
I was recently asked to do a presentation for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force in Wisconsin on increasing awareness in their communities on reporting missing persons and the resources we have in the Clearinghouse.
2. I am not a minority

If there is anything else I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Melissa

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