What is an AMBER Alert?

According to the FBI and the United States Department of Justice, approximately 800,000 kids are reported missing each year in the U.S. While the vast majority of these are runaways or family abductions, some of these cases are defined as “stereotypical kidnappings” and an AMBER alert is issued. This is where the perpetrator is a stranger or slight acquaintance who kidnaps the child and transports them over 50 miles away. White men abducting female children for the purpose of sexually assaulting them primarily commit these crimes. Many of these children are killed, while it’s estimated that 4% of the victims are never found.

Who is Amber Hagerman?

The AMBER Alert system was initially named after 9-year old Amber Hagerman who was abducted and killed in Texas in 1996. She was an auburn-haired young girl who enjoyed playing with Barbie dolls and singing “America the Beautiful” which mentioned her name in the song.

This young girl was riding her bicycle in a parking lot near a Winn-Dixie store when a stranger grabbed her and forced her into his pickup truck. Jim Kevil, a witness who called 911 to report that he saw a man abducting the child, heard her screams. Just four days later, her naked body was spotted in a creek bed near an apartment complex and her throat had been slit. After police pursued over 5,000 leads, her case currently remains unsolved.

The backronym (phrase constructed after the fact to match existing acronym) now stands for America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response. Law enforcement agencies utilize the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to activate a bulletin, broadcasting a description of the child and suspected kidnapper. The information is then sent to radio and television stations, along with notifying the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Some states also incorporate these bulletins to be transmitted electronically along highway billboards that normally disseminate traffic information to drivers.

Requirements for an Alert to be Issued

Before an alert can be issued, law enforcement officials are required to meet certain criteria, which are:

• Law enforcement officers believe that abduction has occurred.
• The victim is a child under the age of 17 year.
• The victim is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
• The name of the child and other important data has been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) System.
• There is enough information to give the general public to assist with recovering the victim safely and/or apprehension of the suspected kidnapper.

Once the conditions are met, information is disseminated, including a description of both the victim and the suspect. This often includes a picture of the missing child and any information about the suspect’s vehicle. This program has helped save the lives of over 500 children nationwide.

Everyone is Entitled to a Vigorous Defense

When children are reported missing, the police often suspect the family members first. They begin their investigation by questioning the parents, often asking them to submit to a lie-detector test. Even if you weren’t involved in the crime, a polygraph can yield results that can make you appear guilty. There are many factors that can contribute to a parent flunking this test, usually due to the stress of the situation or the parent may feel guilty for not watching their child more closely. If you are a suspect in a child abduction case, you need to hire a criminal defense attorney who will defend your rights and make sure you are unjustly convicted.