The AMBER Alert System (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response)

On January 13, 1996, 9 year-old Amber Hagerman of Texas was abducted, assaulted and murdered. While this heinous crime remains unsolved, it resulted in the creation of the AMBER Alert System.  Since inception, the system has... [ view full abstract ]

On January 13, 1996, 9 year-old Amber Hagerman of Texas was abducted, assaulted and murdered. While this heinous crime remains unsolved, it resulted in the creation of the AMBER Alert System.  Since inception, the system has aided in the rescue and return of over 800 children.

The America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert System is managed by the U. S. Department of Justice.  Broadcasters voluntarily collaborated with local police to develop a warning system that would help find abducted children. The system is utilized throughout the United States and in 22 foreign countries.  Messages are delivered through radio, TV, transportation signs, cell phones, digital billboards, Internet service providers, text, and social media posts.

As the secondary distributor of AMBER Alerts, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has developed innovative public-private partnerships with organizations such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter.  Facebook users receive geo-targeted alerts, expanding child protection resources into new areas via social media.  

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program provides training and other services to Federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and key stakeholders.  This program increases collaboration and implements effective practices to protect and recover missing, endangered, and abducted children.  The Child Abduction Response Team training is a multi-disciplinary approach to responding to incidents of missing or abducted children.

Learning objectives:

1.)        Participants will explore best practices and evidence-based policies in recovering missing and abducted children developed over 20 years of operation of the AMBER Alert System.

2.)        Participants will gain awareness regarding federal agency collaboration with non-profit organizations and social media in recovering missing and abducted children including cross-border initiatives with Canada and Mexico and international abductions. 

3.)        Participants will achieve increased knowledge of strategies and trainings to build multidisciplinary partnerships to prevent child trafficking, child abduction and missing children’s issues.