Alert system for missing children, named for Codi Bigsby, heads to Gov. Youngkin’s desk

A bill to create an alert system for missing children, named in honor of Codi Bigsby, was sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk for approval Thursday after passing both the House and Senate.

House Bill 1388 would establish the Virginia Critical Operation for a Disappeared Child Initiative (CODI) Alert Program. The 4-year-old boy was reported missing in January 2022, sparking a massive search. Law enforcement didn’t issue an AMBER Alert, which broadcasts any information investigators think will help locate the missing child

Codi was never found, and over a year later his father, Cory Bigsby, was charged with his murder.

Virginia State Police declined Hampton police’s request for an AMBER Alert for Codi because they said it didn’t meet the requirements, which include a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred and that the child is in imminent danger of serious injury or death. The requirements for issuing a CODI Alert are wider, allowing it to be used in situations in which a child’s disappearance is “under suspicious circumstances.”

HB1388 passed the House and Senate unanimously. It will become law if Youngkin approves.

The alert will use existing emergency alert systems to target residents within certain areas. The bill stipulates that local or regional law enforcement officials must confer with state police prior to issuing a CODI Alert for their respective jurisdictions. State police are the only agency able to issue statewide alerts.

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com