But, Banks said, “I just kept putting pressure on them.” With the help of an advocate, Banks asked authorities to issue an Ebony Alert, California’s new notification system to inform the public about missing Black youths. Two hours after issuing the Ebony Alert, officers pinged the teen’s phone, allowing them to geolocate the device. She said she has helped a dozen families, including Banks’, demand an Ebony Alert for their missing children. Similar to an Amber Alert, Ebony Alerts are permitted to be displayed on highway signs and billboards. Because officers determine whether to issue the alert, Lee said the cases of missing Black youth are often not met with the same level of urgency.

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Persons: Banks, “, Lelah, ” Banks, La'Tannya Banks, Jasmine Lee, it’s, ” Lee, Ebony, Gavin Newsom, Amber, Sen, Steven Bradford, State Sen, ”, Lee, Jasmine Ellis, Adrienne Hutchinson, Sanai Singh, Hutchinson, Dock Ellis, ” Hutchinson, Singh, —, Jaime Coffee Organizations: NBC, California, Patrol, Dock Ellis Foundation, LAPD, NBC News, California Gov, Democrat, State, Alert, CHP, Ebony Locations: California, Los Angeles, United States, U.S, Massachusetts