Search for missing Spirit Lake woman prompts questions on Feather Alert protocol

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – The recent disappearance of a woman from the Spirit Lake Reservation is sparking questions about the newest safety alerts in North Dakota.

At one point or another, we’ve heard our phones go off with a missing person alert.

That notification comes with a lot of behind-the-scenes criteria that need to be met.

More than 1,300 people went missing in North Dakota last year alone.

The state’s public alert system helps spread the word to locate the missing.

“When someone’s abducted against their own will or have physical or mental impairments that make them not understand what’s going on, and abducted children also,” said Jenna Clawson Huibregtse.

Those are just a few of the key details examined when determining which alert to use.

Jenna Clawson Huibregtse with the state patrol said the system has five alert types: Amber, Silver, Blue, Feather, and Missing Endangered.

The two newest ones are Feather Alert and Missing Endangered.

Both are for endangered or abducted adults, but the Feather Alert applies specifically to Indigenous adults.

“When our people go missing, we need to have some sort of alert to ensure that we are able to act swiftly to try and get a positive resolve,” said Vicki Alberts.

Alberts with Spirit Lake public relations said the alert plays a big part for tribes.

This past weekend, the state issued a Feather Alert for 20-year-old Danica White, but Alberts said some thought the alert didn’t work properly.

“Only certain people received an alert on their phone, via text, and that no sound was associated with that alert,” said Alberts.

Clawson Huibregtse said the system worked as it should.

“For abductions, we send out that wireless emergency alert, that’s what goes across the phones, and if there’s not an abduction, we still do an alert, but we utilize other communication platforms,” said Huibregtse.

She points out why not all alerts include that loud notification we all know.

“Alerts fatigue thing is huge, and the effectiveness rate of an alert has to be high for the system to work,” said Huibregtse.

While notifications may differ depending on circumstances, Huibregtse said they always focus on alerting the public and searching for the person.

She said other states send out notifications for all missing people and experience a success rate of 11-35% compared to North Dakota’s rate of nearly 100%.

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