Virginia State Police Introduces New “CODI” Alerts to Aid in Searches for Missing or Endangered Children

The Virginia State Police have launched a new tool in the fight to find missing and endangered children: the “CODI” Alert, short for Critical Operation for a Disappeared Child Initiative. This alert system, now operational, was approved by the 2024 General Assembly and is named in memory of Codi Bigsby, a four-year-old boy from Hampton who disappeared in 2022 and has yet to be found.

The CODI Alert is designed to assist law enforcement when a child goes missing under suspicious circumstances or faces a credible threat. According to the Virginia State Police, the alert will be issued upon request by the investigating agency when specific criteria are met.

To qualify for a CODI Alert, the missing individual must be 17 years old or younger or enrolled in a secondary school in Virginia, regardless of age. The child’s location must be unknown, and law enforcement must determine that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance are suspicious or pose a credible threat to the child’s safety or health. The case must also have enough information to share with the public that could aid in locating the missing child. If a local law enforcement agency believes these conditions are met, they can contact Virginia State Police to activate the alert.

While the CODI Alert operates similarly to the well-known AMBER Alert, key differences exist. The AMBER Alert is triggered only if an abduction is suspected, but the CODI Alert does not require proof of abduction. This broadens the scope of when the alert can be issued, providing law enforcement another resource to help bring missing children home.

In addition to CODI and AMBER Alerts, Virginia State Police have several other alert systems available for activation, each targeting different vulnerable populations. These include:

• Senior Alerts for missing individuals over 60 years old with cognitive impairments.
• Critically Missing Adult Alerts for adults 18 and older whose disappearance poses a credible threat to their safety and health.
• Missing Person with Autism Alerts is for individuals on the autism spectrum who are missing and face a serious threat.
• Blue Alerts are issued when a law enforcement officer is missing, or a suspect involved in the injury or death of an officer is being sought.

These alerts help spread vital information quickly across Virginia, increasing the chances of locating missing individuals. Each type of alert has specific criteria that must be met before it can be activated. More details can be found on the Virginia State Police’s active alerts webpage.

In 2023, the Virginia State Police issued six AMBER Alerts, 42 Senior Alerts, 30 Critically Missing Adult Alerts, and three Missing Person with Autism Alerts. There were no Blue Alerts issued that year.

With the CODI Alert now in place, law enforcement agencies have an additional resource to help in the critical early hours after a child is reported missing. This initiative represents a step forward in protecting vulnerable children, and officials hope it will play a significant role in safely reuniting families in Virginia.

For more information about the CODI Alert and other Virginia alert programs, visit Virginia State Police’s active alerts page.