Media

Amber Alert

Release Date: November 18, 2002

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is now part of the nation-wide “Amber Alert” network used to help find children who have been abducted. The new procedure allows the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe return of the child.

A Washington State study of 621 stranger abductions that ended in murder showed that 74% of the children were killed within the first 3 hours and 91% were killed within the first 24 hours of the abduction. The Sheriff's Office “Amber Alert” procedure immediately notifies the public regarding the circumstances about the child abduction including a description of the child and the alleged kidnapper.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children suggests three criteria must be met when an “Amber Alert” is activated:

• The child is unwillingly taken from his parent or legal guardian.
• There is an indication the child is in danger of being hurt or killed.
• Descriptive information is available about the child, abductor an/or the suspect's vehicle.

Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies investigating suspected child abductions will activate procedures to immediately notify the public as well as law enforcement agencies across the country. A notification system allows the media to announce a life-threatening abduction of a child in much the same way a severe weather bulletin is issued. The local radio and TV stations as well as Time Warner Cable will override programming with announcements and tickertape information about the abduction.

In Shelby County, there is no 24-hour waiting period to file a report about a missing child, so missing children meeting the “Amber Alert” criteria can be immediately investigated. The “Amber Alert” will not be activated in cases involving runaway children, or children taken by a non-custodial relative or a missing adult.