Amber Alert
On Monday September 14, 2015 Alberta RCMP issued an Amber Alert in Saskatchewan for Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette. Tragically, little Hailey’s remains were found Tuesday evening. While the Amber Alert did not save Hailey it is important that we all understand our role in the process and do our best to prevent any more children being harmed.
What is an Amber Alert
The Amber Alert program is an urgent bulletin system that is activated in some cases of child abduction.
It uses electronic highway signs, designated local broadcasters and wireless signals to announce the name and a description of the abducted child, plus descriptions of any vehicle suspected of being involved in the crime.
The first Amber Alert system was established in 1996 in Texas after a nine-year-old girl, Amber Hagerman, went missing. She was riding her bicycle near home when she was kidnapped and murdered. The killing remains unsolved.
The umbrella agency that oversees the system has created the acronym America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
What are the criteria for an alert?
Each jurisdiction that establishes an Amber system is free to do whatever it wants. In Canada the criteria set out by the RCMP’s National Missing Children Services:
- The child must be under 18 years of age.
- There must be confirmation that the child has been abducted.
- Police must have sufficient information to make a search for the child possible, such as descriptions of the child, abductor, accomplices or the suspect’s vehicle.
- Police must believe the child is in serious [imminent] danger and be convinced a broadcast will help find the child.
How often are Amber Alerts used in Canada?
Between 2003 and 2012, Canada issued 64 Amber Alerts involving 73 abducted children. Of those, 70 were recovered and returned safely and three died.
What Should You Do in Case of an Amber Alert?
The public’s role is critical to the success of the Amber Alert Plan.
If you witness a child abduction, contact your local law enforcement agency or dial 911;
If an Amber Alert has been activated, be on the lookout for the child, suspect, and/or vehicle described in the alert.
If you locate the child, suspect, or vehicle fitting the description, immediately call the telephone number given in the Amber Alert to provide authorities with as much information as possible.
Persons who locate an abductor should NEVER take any action other than to contact law enforcement.