Hamilton MPP tables bill to expand Amber Alerts for vulnerable population

Three months ago the body of 80-year-old Shirley Love was found in Kings Forest. Love’s daughter, Lori Brown, says an Amber Alert would’ve saved her mother. Hamilton MPP Monique Taylor is calling for an expansion of the Amber Alert policy in Ontario.

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Brown says there was an eyewitness account of her mother Shirley Love before she went reported missing and later found dead in east Hamilton in December. “Had an alert gone out, he would of looked on his phone and done something about it,” Brown said.

Brown says her mother, who was living with dementia, showed no signs of vulnerability and says she was wanting to visit her parents and siblings. Which led to the three-day search in inclement weather by Hamilton police and hundreds of volunteers.

“She was right under our noses, 1.2 kilometres from home and we blanketed the area with our family, we were out there!” Brown said.

On Dec. 13, the family says Love was in her Mount Albion apartment with her husband Jim. Moments later without Jim noticing, Love left the home. With only security footage left for investigators showing Love walking in the area of Glendale golf course. Days later police found her in the Kings Forest area.

READ MORE: Hamilton police find body of missing 80-year-old Shirley Love

Hamilton MPP Monique Taylor says, “she would have not been covered in the Amber Alert, but someone in her circumstance could be covered with the new alert I’m proposing.”

Tuesday at Queens Park, Taylor announced her tabled bill about expanding Amber Alerts for vulnerable people who go missing from their homes including people living with autism and dementia.

Taylor says a handful of Ontario municipalities have passed resolutions on creating new alerts. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they do not respond to legislative matters but add current Amber Alerts have to meet certain criteria.

The criteria include, if the law enforcement believes a child under 18 years of age has been abducted, if they are in danger, if there is information on the child, abductor, or vehicle, and if they believe an alert will locate the child.

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