TAMPA, FL — Florida authorities issued a Purple Alert on July 14 for Amber Rhoads, a 27-year-old Tampa woman who was last seen in the city. The alert was released through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse.
Police say Rhoads was last seen in the 10000 block of Bourbon Court. Officials are asking anyone who has seen her, or who may know where she is, to contact law enforcement right away. The alert also says she may be traveling in a 2020 bronze Kia Sportage with Florida license plate LBCP18.
Vehicle description could help investigators track her location
Investigators included a detailed vehicle description in the alert because it may help the public spot Rhoads or the car she is believed to be using. The vehicle is described as a 2020 bronze Kia Sportage with Florida tag LBCP18.
That kind of identifying information is often central to locating a missing adult quickly, especially when there is concern the person may be on the move. FDLE and Tampa police are urging people not to assume someone else will report a sighting if they see the vehicle or recognize Rhoads.
Anyone with information can call FDLE at 1-888-FL-MISSING, which is 1-888-356-4774, or contact the Tampa Police Department at 813-931-6500. Emergencies should be reported by calling 911.
What a Florida Purple Alert is designed to do
A Purple Alert is used in Florida to help locate missing adults who have certain disabilities and are believed to face immediate danger or serious bodily harm. The program covers people with an intellectual or developmental disability, a brain injury, or other physical, mental, or emotional disabilities that are not tied to substance abuse.
The alert does not apply to adults with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia-related disorder. It is meant to create a coordinated public response when law enforcement believes a missing person can only be brought back to safety through police intervention.
How officials decide when to issue the alert
Florida’s criteria require that the missing person be 18 or older and not qualify for a Silver Alert. Law enforcement must also decide that the disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or serious bodily harm.
Before activation, investigators must have a detailed description that can be shared with the public, and the missing person must be entered into the Florida Crime Information Center. The local agency with jurisdiction also has to recommend the alert before FDLE can issue it.
Only law enforcement can request a Purple Alert
Families who are worried about a missing loved one are told to contact local police or sheriff’s deputies immediately and file a report where the person was last seen. Law enforcement then decides whether the case meets the state criteria for a Purple Alert.
If officers determine that it does, they contact the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse to request activation. The process is limited to law enforcement, which means relatives and friends cannot issue the alert themselves.
Florida’s Purple Alert system continues to grow
FDLE says there are currently eight active Purple Alerts in Florida, with cases dating back to June 2022. The state’s Purple Alert Plan was established by the Florida Legislature and signed into law on July 1, 2021.
People who want to receive Purple Alerts by email can sign up for notifications so they are alerted as soon as a new case is issued. State officials say the goal is to speed recovery and bring more community attention to missing adults who may be especially vulnerable.
