Inside New York’s Missing Persons Alert Overhaul with Tim Williams

The Alerting Authority · Apr 23, 2026 · 1h 3m · transcript

How do you write a missing persons alert that actually gets the public to respond?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Tim Williams, Program Manager of the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse, to explore how New York is rethinking missing persons messaging, public alerting, and effective communication.

This conversation goes deep into the science behind alert wording, why plain language matters, and how thoughtful messaging can increase public engagement, reduce confusion, and improve outcomes in missing and endangered person…