As Calgarians gather at city hall to mourn 11-year-old Parker Wells, the police chief and mayor say they will review the response to the search for the missing child. The review could examine communication practices, search planning and the timing of the application for an exemption to issue an Amber Alert. “In incidents like this, there’s always going to be lessons learned,” Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan said. “We will go back, we’ll do an operational review, we’ll do an investigative review, we’ll reach out to our partners,” she added. Parker went missing on July 16 in northwest Calgary, and the search quickly expanded in size and scope. Hundreds of police officers, trained search and rescue volunteers and members of the public spent thousands of hours searching neighbourhoods, parks and waterways. “I find it incredibly important for us to recognize the loss of Parker. Calgary came together in such an amazing way because we lost an amazing kid,” Mayor Jeromy Farkas said. Farkas said city council will consider its own review to look at ways to prevent a similar tragedy. “I’m certainly in support of the petition right now calling for an Indigo Alert, as an example. There could be some other ways to ensure that, especially recognizing the unique needs of autistic children, there are ways that we could improve,” he said. Jen Ball, whose son is also non-verbal and autistic, launched an online petition calling for broader Amber Alert criteria or the creation of a separate “Indigo Alert.” “We propose broadening the criteria to include all missing children who are deemed at risk due to medical, developmental, or communication challenges, regardless of evidence indicating an actual abduction,” the petition reads. “An ‘at-risk alert’ could bridge this gap.” Parker’s body was found in a series of pipes in a culvert near Deerfoot Trail, two weeks after he was last seen. City rules updated in 2018 require storm outfalls to have steel bars installed at openings, but Farkas said he wants to know how many pipes in the city do not have such barriers. ”I’m also interested in the infrastructure piece to ensure that we’re having our essential infrastructure safe. I’m thinking of stormwater ponds, culverts and so on,” he said. Police have confirmed there is no active criminal investigation related to Parker’s disappearance.
