RICHMOND, Va. — When Codi Bigsby was reported missing in January 2022, there were calls for an alert to be sent out about his disappearance.
As News 3 reported at the time, law enforcement said he didn't qualify for an Amber Alert because there wasn't evidence he was abducted.
Now, a bill in the General Assembly would create an alert called a CODI alert that wouldn't require the belief a child was abducted.
"Having a CODI alert that is really inclusive of children that are disappearing under suspicious circumstances that's not meeting the Amber Alert criteria is a step in the right direction," said Derrica Wilson, co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation.
The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and will be taken up by the House of Delegates.
"It's just an additional tool in the tool box for situations where we need additional media and other resources to bear without it actually rising to the level of an Amber Alert," said State Sen. Danny Diggs (R-York County), who introduced the legislation.
In Codi's case, he's never been found, but law enforcement believe he's dead and have charged his father with murder.
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The bill has passed easily so far, despite some concerns being raised about whether there are too many alerts.
"Is the concern that we start having too many of these alerts, it's going to start to dilute the effectiveness of these alerts if you're getting alerts all the time?" said State Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County), who wound up supporting the bill in final passage.
Wilson says more alerts can help reunite families.
"Having these alert systems to heighten awareness - that can help bring these individuals home," said Wilson. "It really shows that relationship with law enforcement, the media and ultimately the community in solving these cases."
