'Blaming people doesn't get us anywhere': Calgary advocate pushes for national vulnerable missing person standard

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News 'Blaming people doesn't get us anywhere': Calgary advocate pushes for national vulnerable missing person standard A missing person category exists but isn't being governed and used, says Calgary advocate Author of the article: By Payton Delisle-Miller Published Sep 25, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Parker Wells, 11, went missing on July 16, 2026 was autistic and was found deceased after an extensive search by police and volunteers. Photo by Calgary Police Service Article content Questions surrounding the response to Parker Wells’ disappearance have put a spotlight on gaps in how vulnerable missing person cases are handled, but a Calgary advocate says the issue goes far beyond the city’s 911 system. Article content Jenn Thompson, founder of the Parent Partnership Project, began drafting her “One Call to Find Them All” campaign while Wells, an 11-year-old autistic boy, was still missing in July. The campaign calls on on all levels of government to create a national standard for responding to vulnerable missing people, so as to limit confusion and delays in response.   Article content Article content Advertisement 1 STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “That alert should have gone out right away, under the missing person category. And because it wasn’t governed and wasn’t being used, through my advocacy that’s what I discovered, (that) there’s no operational standard,” Thompson said. “So I wrote one.”  Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content The missing person category is already part of the Canadian Profile of the Common Alerting Protocol — the national standardized set of rules governing the public alert system  — which allows authorities to issue alerts for a missing vulnerable person regardless of age, differentiating itself from an AMBER alerts and Silver alerts. Article content Thompson said the code has existed since 2010, but there is no system in place to ensure it is used properly, nor is there a coordinated response framework that could be used nationally. Article content Rather than…