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New response system will helps solve abduction cases
By JODI PREISLER HARRISBURG, Pa. – Amber Hagerman does not know it, but she has helped save many children’s lives. America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response – or AMBER – was developed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in an effort to incite communities to help in the search and safe return of an abducted children and apprehension of suspects. The plan was named AMBER in honor of Amber Hagerman, who was abducted by a stranger and brutally murdered in 1996. The AMBER alert enlists law enforcement agencies, television and radio broadcasters, and citizens to help in the effort to recover an abducted child. A description of the abducted child and the suspected abductor is broadcast on television and radio using the Emergency Alert Service (EAS), the same system used to inform communities of severe weather. Trooper Linette Quinn, Public Information Coordinator for the Pennsylvania State Police, said that state police have recently established a new code for use on the EAS system. The Child Abduction Emergency (CAE) code is used to distinguish an AMBER alert from other emergencies such as severe weather and terrorist activity. In February 2002, Pennsylvania became one of the first states to implement a statewide AMBER plan. State police studies have shown that in 75 percent of abductions the child is murdered within the first three hours. Since the AMBER plan began, state police have used the alert six times out of 16 potential requests. Four of those children were recovered unharmed while the other two remain active cases. “That’s why it is crucial to find abducted children as soon as possible,” said former Governor Mark Schweiker in a news conference announcing implementation of the state’s AMBER plan. Not all cases of abduction qualify for the AMBER plan. Law enforcement and media established criteria that must be met for activation of the plan. The abducted child must be under the age of 16, or under 18 if he or she has a mental or physical disability. The abduction must have been committed by a non-family member and most importantly, police must believe the child’s life is in danger. After local police receive notification of an abduction, they investigate and upon determination that the criteria has been met, officers will notify the state police using the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network (C.L.E.A.N.) computer. The state police in turn issue an alert to law enforcement agencies across the state and if necessary to neighboring states. The EAS is then used to notify communities and provide information about the abduction. PennDOT and Pennsylvania Turnpike road message signs throughout the state also flash alerts to drivers. “This system puts thousands of pairs of eyes on our state roadways and in our communities to assist police in the search for abducted children,” said former Attorney General Mike Fisher. State police work closely with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) to initiate an AMBER alert. “The key to the AMBER alert is time,” Quinn said. “We can get the message out within a couple of minutes.” Quinn said that with the use of PEMA’s advanced technology, state police can now upload the necessary information directly into a satellite that will distribute the information to all local or statewide broadcasting outlets. Quinn also said that Corporal Wayne Shepard, coordinator for Pennsylvania’s AMBER plan, visited surrounding states to urge them to share AMBER alert information. With states sharing information, the current criteria for activating an AMBER alert can be changed to include abductions by family members. Earlier this month, at the urging of NCMEC, Congress passed legislation to fund a national AMBER Alert system. “This… sends a strong message that crimes against children will not be tolerated and those who prey on our children will be tracked down and face the harshest penalties,” said Robbie Callaway, chairman of NCMEC. All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual
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