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The AMBER Plan was
created in 1996 in remembrance of 9-year-old Amber
Hagerman, a bright little girl who was kidnapped and
brutally murdered while riding her bicycle in Arlington,
Texas. The
tragedy sent shock waves across the community. People
contacted radio stations in the Dallas area and
suggested they broadcast special “alerts” over the
airwaves so that they could help prevent such incidents
in the future.
The AMBER Plan is a
voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies
and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in the
most serious child-abduction cases. Broadcasters use
the Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly called the
Emergency Broadcast System, to air the description of
the abducted child and the possible suspect.
The goal of the
AMBER Alert is to immediately rouse the entire community
to assist in the search for the safe return of the
child. Once the abduction has been brought to the notice
of the law enforcement agencies, they will determine
whether the case meets the AMBER Plan’s criteria for
triggering an alert.
The criteria are as follows:
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Law enforcement
confirms that the child has been abducted.
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It is important that
the law enforcement believes the circumstances
surrounding the abduction indicate that the child is
in danger of serious bodily harm or death.
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There is enough
descriptive information about the child, the suspect,
and/or suspect’s vehicle to believe an immediate
broadcast alert will help.
If the criteria are
met, alert information must be put together for public
distribution. This information can include descriptions
and pictures of the missing child, the suspect, and any
other information available and valuable in identifying
the child and suspect. |
