CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia State Police are reminding the public about a fairly new alert system they use to help find missing children faster.  The “Codi Alert” premiered in September, and since its implementation, there have been eight alerts sent out by Virginia State Police. It stands for "Critical Operation for a Disappeared Child Initiative." However, state police say a lot of people still don't know how the alerts are used or what makes them different from an amber alert. “What this alert does, this alert is for the public to use this information and say, you know, hey, if I see this, I can help the police find these missing children," said Matthew Demlin, a spokesperson with Virginia State Police. “Keep your eyes open. If you see something, report something.” The alert was named after Codi Bigsby, a four-year-old boy from Hampton who went missing in 2022 and was never found. Virginia State Police say they will only issue a Codi alert if the missing person is under the age of 17, their whereabouts are unknown, and their disappearance is under suspicious circumstances or poses a credible threat to themselves or others. And just like an amber alert, the message will be sent directly to your phone. “Within most of the CODI alerts we have had the person be found and, you know, happy ending," Demlin said. "You're not going to have a CODI alert be an amber alert because ... really the main differentiator between a CODI alert and an amber alert is we believe an abduction has taken place." Unlike amber alerts, you won't see them on the automated VDOT signs on the highway due to federal regulations. The Codi alert is just the latest of the six various alerts that are used by law enforcement to help locate missing people. “I mean, it's just ... helpful," Demlin said. "It helps us provide information to the public to have them help us. You know, we can't do it alone.”