Photo of Amber Hagerman (9)
Credit: https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2021/amber-alerts-from-heartbreak-to-hope
January 13 is National Amber Alert Awareness Day to bring awareness to child abductions.
The story of the Amber alert starts with Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old from Arlington, Texas who was abducted on January 13, 1996. She was then found murdered four days later.
After the death of Amber left an impact on their community, an emergency alert system was developed for a fast release of information with child abductions.
The alert system was named in memory of Amber Hagerman.
XFM News talked with Amanda Pick, the CEO of the Missing Children’s Society of Canada (MCSC). Pick says Amber alerts are of the highest importance because of the requirements needed for one to be issued.
Countries and regions use the same general guidelines when issuing an Amber alert but there can be slight differences. The OPP have listed the following criteria for issuing an alert in Ontario (can be found on the OPP website):
- The law enforcement agency believes a child under 18 years of age has been abducted; and
- The law enforcement agency believes the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death; and
- There is enough descriptive information about one or more of the following: the child, the abductor, and/or the vehicle, which is sufficient to allow the law enforcement agency to believe that an immediate broadcast alert will help in locating the child.
Pick continued with the requirements so high very few Amber alerts get issued to prevent the loss of importance.
Amber alerts have been very successful with many being found in a few hours. You can find the statistics here.
Many children that go missing or get abducted don’t get Amber alerts because they don’t meet the requirements. That does not mean they don’t need help.
“When a child is not in a safe space, they need help.” said Pick
Other alert systems have been made for the children that are not able to have an Amber alert. One system is the MCSC rescu system where police can issue alerts for missing children.
