Amber Alert!

Why AMBER?

In 1996, 9-year old Amber Hagerman disappeared from her Arlington, Texas neighborhood while riding her bicycle. A neighbor was able to give some details of the car involved, but no system was in place to get that information to local residents quickly. Tragically, Amber's body was found four days later.

Hoping to prevent such tragedy from happening again, outraged area residents suggested that the media relay kidnapping information the same way severe weather warnings are issued: using emergency system broadcasts across numerous media outlets. Thus, the "Amber Alert Plan" was born. Here's how existing statewide Amber Alert Plans, such as the Florida plan, work:

Immediately after a child has been kidnapped and is considered endangered, law enforcement officers launch an Amber Alert by informing broadcast media of critical details, including a description of the suspect and his or her vehicle.

America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response

Whether it is a local, regional or statewide program, law enforcement activates an Amber Alert by notifying broadcast media with relevant identifying and case information when circumstances meets the following criteria:

• The missing child is of a pre-determined age
  
  
• The law enforcement agency believes the child has been kidnapped
  
  
• The agency believes the missing child is under threat of serious bodily harm or death.

Radio and TV stations use the Emergency Alert System to interrupt their programming with the emergency information. 

As a result, millions of people can be on the lookout almost immediately for the kidnapper's vehicle and the child.  Across the country, Amber Alert Plans are credited with helping safely recover children.

There Are Many Benefits of Amber Alert.

• It is free.
  
  
• It encourages participation between natural adversaries, law enforcement and media by drawing on their inherent strengths.
  
  
• It promotes accountability by creating the foundation of a comprehensive missing child protocol.
  
  
• It is an effective time critical response to kidnappers who can disappear with children at the rate of a mile per minute.
  
  
• It sends a powerful message to wanna-be kidnappers that this is a community that cares about and protects children.
  
  
• It saves lives; and, It gives detectives and investigators a time-critical head start on safely returning your child.

Please don't wait to report a missing child!