RICHMOND, Va. — A bill moving through the Virginia General Assembly would fund a new app designed to centralize missing persons alerts, giving families, law enforcement and the public a single place to access critical information.
The proposed legislation aims to secure $200,000 over a two-year budget to develop an app called Guardian. The app would not replace existing alert systems like the CODI Alert and AMBER Alert, but would work alongside them, consolidating missing persons information into one database. Features would include a direct line to police and a platform for community updates.
The push for the app is being led by York County's Commonwealth Attorney and the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. If funding is approved, the hope is to have the app available within a year.
For Toni Jacobs, a Richmond mother whose daughter Keeshae Jacobs vanished nearly a decade ago, the legislation is personal. Keeshae was 21 years old when she disappeared in Richmond. Her body has never been found. Police closed the case last year.
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Toni Jacobs said she supports the bill and believes an app like Guardian could make a difference for other families.
"It could be very helpful, because there's a lot of people missing, and, sometimes, after a while ... it weighs down, and nobody really talks about it," Jacobs said.
Her daughter's disappearance opened her eyes to how many missing persons cases go unheard.
"I realized once Keeshae went missing how many other people out here are missing and you don't hear about it," Jacobs said.
Jacobs believes the app's ability to reach a wide audience could generate tips that might otherwise never surface.
"If it's an app, somebody say, 'Hey, I saw this on this app. Hold on, that looked like that girl.' I don't care if it may not be it, but if it looked like her, it's good information," Jacobs said.
She said the need for more resources is urgent.
"We need more resources out here to help find missing families," Jacobs said.
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