Does YOUR Community Have An AMBER ALERT ?

[Jolie Rouge]

"In the Fall of 2001 the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) launched the AMBER Plan - America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response nationwide. Our goal is to assist cities and towns across the United States with creating their own emergency alert plan. "

What Is the AMBER Plan?

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 a description of the missing child and suspected abductor.

This is the same concept used during severe weather emergencies. The goal of the AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe return of the child.

When and Why Was the AMBER Plan Created?

The AMBER Plan was created in 1996 as a powerful legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, a bright little girl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. The tragedy shocked and outraged the entire community. Residents 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.

In response to the community’s concern for the safety of local children, the Dallas/Fort Worth Association of Radio Managers teamed up with local law-enforcement agencies in northern Texas and developed this innovative early warning system to help find abducted children. Statistics show that, when abducted, a child’s greatest enemy is time.

Each program establishes its own AMBER Plan criteria; however, the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children suggests three criteria that
should be met before an Alert is activated.

• law enforcement confirms a child has been abducted

• law enforcement believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death

• there is enough descriptive information about the child, abductor, and/or suspect’s vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help


To date the AMBER Plan has been credited with recovering 16 children!

http://www.missingkids.com/html/amberplan.html#what is the amber plan







Our community only initiated the "Amber Alerts" AFTER a 10 year-old little girl was kidnapped & murdered. Contact whomever it takes in your comunity to establish this program BEFORE it is needed, or it may be late to provide help for someone's child.

[Okiechick]

Yes, we do! There was a little boy that disappeared last year, and they were right on it, airing his photo every where. Thank God he was found safe and sound and returned home to his parents.

I think every single city or town, no matter what the size should have this.

Thanks for the post.

[the fugative]

Yes

[lilmeanie43]

I'm only a few miles from arlington too... and man, it breaks my heart every time I hear that Amber alert go off... I listen and listen until they reair to let everyone know the child was found... and I love this program... in the 3 years I've been in dfw only ONCE have they not aired that they found the child... and they activate it probably 3 times a week... those are some damn good chances and solid proof that the program works.

[ckerr4]

I'm with Raven and lilmeanie - I'm just a few miles from Arlington. I hear the Amber alert too often - those poor parents - but it seems to work more often than not. It's a great program, and while the circumstances that led to its creation are heartbreaking, it's really a great example of goo coming from something horrible.

[Lasher]

yep, and we also have a first responder program that goes along with it, there's not too many people I know that live around here that don't belong to it.

[dcut4]

sad to say no we don't..I have never heard of it until reading this post:(

[denisemm]

No! I've never even heard of it til now! It sounds like it has really helped. What a good idea, they shoudl do it everywhere!

[beezwife]

Just heard of this today when an Amber Alert came on t.v. Someone had left a 3 year old little boy in an SUV and it was stolen from a parking lot with the 3 year old in it. Never had heard of anything like this until the emergency broadcast broke in and said this.

[blackant]

we have something called megans law, its because a little girl megan was kidnapped , raped , and killed by a child molester in her neighborhood, thats the only kind of law or any kind of other alert i have heard of so far,, sounds like a great idea though, its so sad that people are so sick in the world today....

[movie nut]

if I remember right, Wichita will implement one fall of 2002. A little girl named Jacquille (spelling?) Skales (spelling) disappeared about a week be4 9/11/01--her disappearance triggered interest in the Amber plan.

[Jolie Rouge]

I am sorry if I am about to offend anyone, but I am so angry & heartsick that I don't really care. We have spent how much time and hundreds of posts debating the phrasing of the pledge and this post just faded from view while we blow off a lot of hot air. Had the Amber Alert been in place it may have saved this childs life.

Instead of just blowing off steam - PLEASE - PLEASE - PLEASE DO SOMETHING ! Call your City Councils. Call your State Representatives. Call your TV & Radio stations. Call your Police Department, Sheriffs' Office, WHO EVER IT TAKES.

The statistics give a child a THREE HOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY if they are abducted by a sexual predator.


Abducted California girl's body found
July 17, 2002 Posted: 3:14 PM EDT (1914 GMT)

A sketch of the kidnapping suspect and a picture of the victim, Samantha Runnion, 5. http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/17/girl.abducted/index.html


STANTON, California (CNN) -- Police said Wednesday that a body found late Tuesday was that of 5-year-old kidnapped girl Samantha Runnion and that the abductor is likely a serial rapist and killer who will strike again.

Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona said that the girl was apparently sexually assaulted and an autopsy is under way to determine a cause of death. "There was some trauma to the body," he said.

Carona said the kidnapper made no effort to hide the body, which was found nude along a road to a popular hang-gliding spot in Riverside County, 75 miles away from Stanton, where the girl was kidnapped Monday in front of a playmate. "We believe he wanted us to find the body, and it was a calling card for future activity," he said.

FBI special agent Richard Garcia said forensic evidence found at the scene, including the positioning of the body, was "almost like a calling card, a challenge -- 'I'm here and I'm coming back.' "

Carona issued a warning to the killer. "Don't eat, don't sleep, because we are coming after you," he said.

The sheriff appealed for information and listed several behavioral changes -- including a sudden change in hairstyle, refusal to drive a personal car, excessive interest in the investigation -- that could indicate someone who may have been involved in the kidnapping.

Samantha was snatched before 7 p.m. Monday from an apartment complex in what Carona described as a "low-crime" neighborhood in Stanton, just west of Anaheim, where her grandmother was caring for her. The grandmother identified the body, the sheriff said.

According to police, a man approached Samantha and a 5-year-old friend, asking them to help him find a puppy. While the playmate shied away, Samantha showed some interest and was grabbed by the suspect, police said.

Samantha "screamed and yelled and created a disturbance" as neighbors from a distance saw the man forcing her into a vehicle before driving away, said Lt. Hayward Miller of the sheriff's department.

Carona said that the playmate, who he said has been "magnificent" at providing details, is under police protection.

Samantha's abductor is described as a Hispanic male, 25 to 40 years old, with black hair combed back and a thin, black mustache. He was wearing a powder-blue, button-down shirt. Garcia said that his accent appeared to be "Americanized."

Police are looking for a two-door, light green car with chrome wheels. Carona said it might be a Honda or an Acura.

A $500,000 reward is offered for information about Samantha's kidnapping and killing.


It is too late to save Samantha -- but WE can take steps to help the next child.

[Yellow_Rose]

Originally posted by dcut4
sad to say no we don't..I have never heard of it until reading this post:(

Same here...sad but true.

[odyssey]

regarding Samantha and the Amber Alert. it was on the t.v Tuesday from early when I turned it on till late evening not every show did it but I saw a message on the bottom of the screen about 8 times regarding her, last seen, wearing white top red and white short clear shoes, and suspect.

IF they would have immediately broadcast this at the time of disappearance she may have been saved. I heard nothing till the 10 pm news Monday night and by Tuesday she was found 50 miles from home. very tragic.

WATCH your kids and the neighbors kids every second. No adult was outside with the girls we were 150 feet from the townhouses.

[Jolie Rouge]

originally posted by Princess4J {{PrincessGabsAlot}}
Abucted Girls Found Alive !!
The two girls who were kidnapped early this morning in California,
were found alive in Kern County. The suspect was killed by police.

Finally a Happy Ending !

I say the Amber Alert works.


BUMP!

[odyssey]

the AMBER ALERT is on/was on this morning we are to be on the look out for a white Bronco that has two kidnapped girls in it.

The freeway sign has it written and also the license plate of car in question.