Amber alert

An Amber alert (alternatively styled AMBER alert) or a child abduction emergency alert (SAME code: CAE) is a message distributed by a child abduction alert system to ask the public for help in finding abducted children.[1][2] The system originated in the United States.[1]

The Amber alert was created in reference to 9-year-old Amber Rene Hagerman, who was abducted in Arlington, Texas, on January 13, 1996, and found murdered four days later. Alternative regional alert names were once used; in Georgia, "Levi's Call"[3] (in memory of Levi Frady); in Hawaii, "Maile Amber Alert"[4] (in memory of Maile Gilbert); in Arkansas, "Morgan Nick Amber Alert"[5] (in memory of Morgan Nick); in Utah, "Rachael Alert" (in memory of Rachael Runyan); and in Idaho, "Monkey's Law" (in memory of Michael “Monkey” Joseph Vaughan).

In the United States, the alerts are distributed via commercial and public radio stations, Internet radio, satellite radio, television stations, text messages, and cable TV by the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio[6][7] (where they are termed "Amber Alerts"). The alerts are also issued via e-mail, electronic traffic-condition signs, commercial electronic billboards,[8][9] or through wireless device SMS text messages.

The US Justice Department's Amber Alert Program has also teamed up with Google[10][11] and Facebook[12] to display information regarding an Amber alert when geographically relevant searches are entered into Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and other search engines. This is a component of the Amber alert system that is already active in the US (there are also developments in Europe). Those interested in subscribing to receive Amber alerts in their area via SMS messages can visit Wireless Amber alerts, which are offered by law as free messages.[13] In some states, the display scrollboards in front of lottery terminals are also used.

The decision to declare an Amber alert is made by each police organization (in many cases, the state police or highway patrol) investigating the abduction. Public information in an Amber alert usually includes the name and description of the abductee, a description of the suspected abductor, and a description and license plate number of the abductor's vehicle if available.

  1. ^ a b "About AMBER Alert". AMBER Alert. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  2. ^ Crawford, Selwyn; Hundley, Wendy (January 23, 2011). "15 Years Later, Critics Debate Effectiveness of Amber Alert". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "Levi's Call". Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) – Georgia.gov. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  4. ^ "Maile Amber Alert". Hawaii Department of Attorney General.
  5. ^ "Morgan Nick Amber Alert". Arkansas State Police. 2006.
  6. ^ Magazine.noaa.gov Archived October 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "NOAA Weather Radio Leads to Kentucky Amber Alert Success". noaa.gov. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  8. ^ "Walgreens Electronic Outdoor Signs Now Deliver Vital Weather Messages at More Than 3,000 Corner Locations Across America" (Press release). Walgreens. September 9, 2008. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008.
  9. ^ Lamaroutdoor.com Archived February 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Glenn, Devon (November 1, 2012). "Google Brings AMBER Alerts for Missing Children to Search and Maps". socialtimes.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014 – via Bing.
  11. ^ @MissingKids (December 19, 2014). ". @Microsoft } @Bing Announces new @AmberAlert features #ChangeLives http://blogs.bing.com/search/2014/12/18/bing-round-up-amber-alerts-and-new-local-features-for-mobile/" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "OJJDP News @ a Glance – January/February 2011". ncjrs.gov.
  13. ^ "Wireless AMBER Alerts". Archived from the original on March 5, 2013.
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