AMBER Alert goes to Facebook

Governor Jay Inslee has designated Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015 as AMBER Alert Day in Washington.

January 13 has been designated as National AMBER Alert Day in recognition of the date that Amber Hagerman was abducted from Arlington, Texas and discovered murdered days later.

The AMBER Alert System was developed in response to her abduction in Texas and spread nationally. There have been over 730 successful recoveries of abducted children nationally as a direct result of the AMBER Alert System.

New for 2015, just announced by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Facebook, users on Facebook will receive AMBER Alerts automatically via their Facebook Newsfeed based on their location in relation to the active alert. This is a great step in furthering the outreach of information on abducted children.

Washington State Patrol has a key role in helping local agencies disseminate AMBER Alerts. That includes not only facilitating use of the alerting web-portal, but providing guidance to local officers who might not be familiar with their own or the state’s AMBER Alert Plans.

Criteria

• Child is 17 or younger and known to be abducted (not a runaway or throw away).
• Should occur within 4 hours of the event.
• Enough descriptive information to believe issuing the alert will assist in the recovery of the child.
• There should be indication that the child’s life or physical well being is in danger.
• Must be investigated by law enforcement.

In cases where AMBER Alert criteria are not met, agencies can still issue Endangered Missing Person Advisories (EMPAs.)

For more information contact WSP’s AMBER Alert Coordinator Carri Gordon at 360-704-2404.