Driver Lifestyles

Make a Difference: The Amber Alert

The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children.

The word AMBER is an acronym for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response" and was created in response to the kidnapping and murder of 9-year old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, TX (November 25, 1986 - January 17, 1996).

Since then, other states and communities have set up their own AMBER plans as the idea was adopted across the nation.

Amber's story
Amber Hagerman was riding her bicycle with her younger brother in a shopping center parking lot when she was abducted on Saturday, January 13, 1996.  The Arlington, Texas abduction occurred near her grandmother's home in broad daylight and  in full view of a witness whose property backed up to the parking lot.

Amber's abductor grabbed her off her bicycle, threw her into his vehicle and sped off.  He was described by the witness as a white or Hispanic male driving a late model black pickup truck.

An extensive, area-wide search for Amber ensued with local radio and TV stations covering the story in their regular newscasts. Four days later, her naked body with her throat slit was found at the bottom of a creek bed at an apartment complex four miles away from the abduction site.  Her kidnapping and murder remain unsolved.

The beginnings
A concerned citizen contacted a Dallas area radio station, suggesting the idea that Dallas radio stations should repeat news bulletins about abducted children just like they do severe weather warnings.

The idea was presented to the Association of Radio Managers (ARM) composed of general managers of the major radio stations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  The general managers agreed that such a program would provide an important public service and might help save the life of a child.

The Dallas Amber Plan was started in July 1997 to help safely recover missing children that police believe have been abducted.  Since then, the program has successfully recovered eight children and expanded to other cities and states nationwide.

Its operation
Once law enforcement has determined that a child has been abducted and the abduction meets AMBER Alert criteria, law enforcement notifies broadcasters and state transportation officials.

AMBER Alerts interrupt regular programming and are broadcast on radio and television and on highway signs. AMBER Alerts can also be issued on lottery tickets, to wireless devices such as mobile phones, and over the Internet.

Through the coordination of local, state and regional plans, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is working towards the creation of a seamless national network.

Program effectiveness
AMBER Alert has been very effective. AMBER Alert programs have helped save the lives of over 200 children nationwide.

Over 84 percent of those recoveries have occurred since October 2002 when President Bush called for the appointment of an AMBER Alert Coordinator at the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children.

Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, is the National AMBER Alert Coordinator. Her Coordinator role is to facilitate AMBER network development, support the development of state AMBER plans and efforts, help eliminate geographic gaps in AMBER networks, provide regional AMBER network coordination and provide guidance on criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert. 

AMBER Alerts serve as deterrents to those who would prey upon our children. AMBER Alert cases have shown that some perpetrators release the abducted child after hearing the AMBER Alert on the radio or seeing it on television.

The scope
The establishment of AMBER Alert plans in all 50 states marks an important milestone in our efforts to prevent child abductions. No matter where a child is abducted, communities and law enforcement work together to recover missing children quickly and safely.

Each state AMBER Alert plan has its own criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts. The PROTECT Act, passed in 2003, which established the role of AMBER Alert Coordinator within the Department of Justice, calls for the Department of Justice to issue minimum standards or guidelines for AMBER Alerts that states can adopt voluntarily. The Department's Guidance on Criteria for Issuing AMBER Alerts follows:

*Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place

*The child is at risk of serious injury or death

*There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor or captor's vehicle to issue an Alert

*The child must be 17-years-old or younger
 
It is recommended that immediate entry of AMBER Alert data be entered into the FBI's National Crime Information Center. Text information describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the child should be entered, and the case flagged as Child Abduction. Most state's guidelines adhere closely to the DOJ's recommended guidelines.
 
Success stories
The numbers of recovered children speak for themselves. In 2001, only two children were recovered due to AMBER Alert. In 2004, 71 children were recovered due to an AMBER Alert.

Interstate expansion is making a difference in saving children's lives.

-On February 6, 2006, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a 6-year-old girl was abducted by her non-custodial mother. Because of the woman’s history of violence and threats of violence she had made, an AMBER Alert was issued.

The woman saw the AMBER Alert on television and contacted authorities and agreed to turn over the child. The suspect was apprehended and the child was safely recovered.

-On February 13, 2006 in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, three sisters, ages 6, 8, and 13, were abducted from their home by their mother’s ex-boyfriend. Because of the man’s extensive criminal background, an AMBER Alert was issued.

Throughout the course of the investigation, two sisters were located at a residence where they had been left. Authorities then received a call from a woman who had heard the AMBER Alert and reported that the middle child was with her. The children were safely recovered and the suspect was later apprehended.

-In Seymour, Indiana, on April 26, 2006, a 2-year-old girl was abducted by her father after the man assaulted the child’s mother. Because of the violent abduction and the man’s threats to harm the child, an AMBER Alert was issued.

A drive-through restaurant patron recognized the vehicle from the AMBER Alert and contacted authorities. Police arrived at the scene and the child was safely recovered.

-A 4-year-old boy and his 2-year-old brother in Terre Haute, Indiana were taken by their father at gunpoint and left in a stolen vehicle on June 13, 2006. Because of the violent abduction, an AMBER Alert was issued.

A citizen saw the AMBER Alert on television, recognized the description of the vehicle by a lake, and notified authorities. When law enforcement arrived, they were able to safely recover the younger child. The suspect was apprehended.

-On June 26, 2006, Barron County, Wisconsin, a 16-month-old was abducted from his grandmother’s home by his non-custodial mother, who also stole the grandmother’s car.

The woman then met up with the child’s non-custodial father. Both are alleged to be Meth addicts and the child’s mother appeared to be very high during the abduction. Fearing for the child’s safety, an AMBER Alert was issued.

The two abductors heard the AMBER Alert, and because they knew that police were searching for them, dropped the child off with a friend. The child was safely recovered.

To date, the Department of Justice has utilized almost $12 million of appropriated funds to create a national network and provide the states and territories with training and technical assistance to develop and enhance their AMBER Alert plans.

Everyone from law enforcement to government to broadcasters has worked very hard to make the AMBER Alert program a success. Although there is much work left to do, the progress made has been significant. All 50 states now have AMBER Alert plans and over 200 children have been recovered due to the AMBER Alert.

The Department of Justice held the first ever National AMBER Alert Training conference in 2003, the second in 2004 and has held over 30 regional training conferences. The Department of Justice is now holding localized training for law enforcement nationwide to familiarize them with the AMBER Alert.

Many states now have formal memorandums of understanding with other states and there are currently 27 regional plans. If law enforcement has reason to believe that the child has been taken across state lines, the AMBER state coordinator will ask that state to issue an alert.

This happened when a boy from a Chicago suburb was abducted. Law enforcement had reason to believe the child was in Indiana and then taken to California. In both instances Indiana and California issued an alert at Illinois request. The child was recovered in California. Many states have informal agreements with other states to issue AMBER Alerts upon request.

For more information about the AMBER Alert program, visit AMBER Alert, a Department of Justice web site.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, up to 4600 children are abducted by strangers every year (about 12 children nationwide every day).

MISSING CHILD ORGANIZATIONS  

Gabriels Gifts
(http://www.gabrielsgifts.org)  

Child Alert
(http://www.childalert.org)

Child Watch of North America
(http://www.childwatch.org)

Child Cyber Search - Canada
(http://www.childcybersearch.org)

Find The Children
(http://www.findthechildren.com)

Garden of Missing Children Society
(http://www.gomcs.org)

Laura Recovery Center Foundation
(http:www.lrcfoundation.org)

Lost Children's Network
(http://www.lostchildren.org)

Missing Children...HELP Center
(http://www.800usakids.org)

Missing Children Center
(http://www.missingchildrencenterinc.org)

Missing Indian Kids
(http://www.missingindiankids.com)

National Center For Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
(http://www.missingkids.org)

National Missing Children's Locate Center, Inc.
(http://www.cnnw.net/~nmclc)

National Missing Persons Hotline
http://www.missingpersons.org

Parental Abductions Resource and Support Organization
(http://www.parentalabductions.org)

The Polly Klaas Foundation
(http://www.pollyklaas.org)

Texas Equusearch
(http://www.texasequusearch.org)

Vanished Children's Alliance
(http://www.vca.org)

Youth Educated in Safety, Inc.
(http://www.yeswi.org)

State Missing Children's Clearinghouses

Alabama State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.gsiweb.net)

Arizona State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.azvictims.com)

Arkansas State Missing Children Clearinghouse
(http://www.ag.state.AR.us)

California State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://caag.state.ca.us/missing/content/clearinghouse.htm)

Delaware State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.state.de.us/missing/index.htm)

Florida State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/)

Hawaii State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://hgea.org/HSC/hsc.html)

Idaho State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.isp.state.id.us/identification/missing/index.html)

Illinois State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.state.il.us/isp)

Indiana State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.state.in.us/isp/safetyinfo/mcc/duties.html)

Iowa State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.state.ia.us/government/dps/dci/index.htm)

Kansas State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.ink.org/public/kbi)

Kentucky State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/ksp/mchild.htm)

Massachusetts State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/msp/missing.htm)

Michigan State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.voyager.net/msp/child/child.html)

Nevada State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://ag.state.nv.us/missing_children/home.htm)

New York State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/missing)

North Carolina State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.a-aabyss.com/missing)

Ohio State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.ag.state.oh.us/juvenile/mcc/missing.htm)

Oregon State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.osp.state.or.us/mcc)

Tennessee State Missing Children's Clearinghouse
(http://www.compu.net/mtmcf/)

Texas State Missing Persons Clearinghouse
(http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch)