By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
During a deeply emotional session of the National Assembly on Monday, Opposition Member of Parliament Jeremy Figueira passionately called for urgent legislative reform following the tragic death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge.
Moved by the nationwide outpouring of grief, Figueira presented a motion for the establishment of a National Child Emergency Notification System, to be named the “Adriana Alert System” in honor of the young girl whose life was senselessly cut short.
The proposed system would mirror the Amber Alert networks used successfully in the United States, Canada, and Europe — systems that have saved countless young lives through rapid information sharing.
“What this motion seeks to promote is not to compete with the Guyana Police Force, but to complement and improve its efforts for greater effectiveness and reliability,” Figueira explained.
He emphasized that the Adriana Alert System would ensure the immediate broadcasting of critical information via mobile phones, media outlets, and public networks, creating an urgent, life-saving mechanism designed to quickly recover missing children and thwart potential abductions.
The parliamentarian warned that as Guyana rises as the fastest-growing economy in the world, the country must not overlook the safety of its children, whose protection must be paramount. Reflecting on the tragic circumstances surrounding Adrianna’s death, he noted that it exposed glaring gaps in child protection services and the police emergency response framework.
In a noteworthy response to the proposal, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) issued a public statement outlining revisions to their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling missing persons cases. Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, addressing the Assembly, confirmed that the GPF has eliminated the controversial 24-hour waiting period for initiating missing persons investigations.
Phillips announced that an immediate “Red Alert” procedure will now be activated when a child is reported missing under suspicious circumstances, and the new protocols will be officially gazetted by April 29, 2025.
The push for the Adriana Alert System marks a pivotal moment for child safety reform in Guyana, as citizens demand stronger systems to protect the most vulnerable among them.
