Two missing Milwaukee girls, ages 13 and 15, have been found, and their disappearance has sparked a community debate about how police handle missing persons cases involving Black children.
The girls went missing on Sunday. According to a police spokesperson, the case “had not been considered critical missing and did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert.” Relatives and neighbors disagreed and pushed for more urgency.
Local news outlets reported that residents organized their own search after a family member tracked a phone to a location. Activist and photojournalist Amanda wrote on social media that neighbors went to a home to look for the girls and that shots were fired from inside. She also claimed the house was connected to a known predator and that the girls may have been lured. Police have not confirmed any of those claims. Police said they cannot confirm allegations of a trafficking ring and that an investigation is underway.
NewsOne reported that a search party of neighbors found the girls Tuesday afternoon. Police later announced the girls were found, and Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales criticized the crowd, calling it vigilantism based on information that had not been proven.
The local missing persons account Missing Person MKE, created in February, has said there is bias in how Amber Alerts are issued for people of color. CNN has reported that missing white children receive far more media coverage than missing Black and brown children.
