The Amber Alert System

If you heard the term “Amber Alert” in the early 1990’s, your reaction would be “what is that?” The “Amber Alert” began in 1996 as a way to inform the public that a child has been abducted and ask for help in locating that child. It is named after Amber Hagerman, who was a 9 year old that was kidnapped while riding her bike and tragically was murdered. This is an effective system that has expanded to all 50 states in the US and is coordinated by the Department of Justice. Since its inception in 1996, 495 children have been saved nationwide. According to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) website, over 90% of those recoveries have occurred since October 2002. The Amber Alert  System is instrumental in communicating information regarding the abduction of a child.

On Wednesday, February 19, 2014, there was an Amber Alert issued for a missing 5-year-old girl in Orange County, Virginia. The little girl was found in a car driven by her aunt, who was later arrested and charged with abduction. The police found the little girl and her aunt in just 27 minutes after the Amber Alert was issued, illustrating the impact the system plays in aiding police and saving a young person from a potentially very dangerous situation. It is important to remember that these systems that we take for granted, actually save lives and spare individuals from encountering a harmful and often tragic situation.

Further information on the Amber Alert System as well as the aforementioned case can be found at the following resources:

http://ojp.gov/newsroom/pdfs/amberfaq.pdf

http://www.missingkids.com/amber

http://www.wric.com/story/24764813/amber-alert-5-year-old-girl-abducted-in-orange