AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Plan

What is the AMBER Plan?

The AMBER Plan was created in 1996 as an enduring legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, a bright little girl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. The tragedy shocked and outraged the entire community. Residents contacted radio stations in the Dallas area and suggested they broadcast special “alerts” so that they could help prevent such future incidents.

The AMBER Plan is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.

Amber Hagerman: Nov. 25, 1986 – Jan. 17, 1996

The Amber Plan, a feature of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), aids in the rescue of kidnapped children.

Background

The name now stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

It Works Like This:

Once law enforcement officials confirm a missing child report, an Amber Alert is sent to radio stations, television stations, and cable companies, and can be text messaged without charges to some wireless telephone subscribers. Broadcasters interrupt programming to relay the information using the EAS to voluntarily deliver the information to the community – the same concept that is used during severe weather or national emergencies. A description of the abducted child, suspected abductor, and details of the abduction are broadcast to millions of listeners and viewers. (The Alert is read after a distinctive sound tone and the announcement: “This is an AMBER Alert.”) The Alert also provides information about how members of the public who have information relating to the abduction may contact the police or other appropriate law enforcement agency.

The goal of AMBER Alerts is to galvanize an entire community, adding millions of extra eyes and ears to watch, listen, and help in the safe return of the child and apprehension of the suspect.

Law enforcement officials will activate an AMBER Alert if:

• They believe an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.

• They have enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.

• The abduction is of a child age 17 years or younger.

What You Can Do:

Under a program operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), subscribers of participating wireless service providers can receive AMBER Alerts as text messages on their wireless devices without being charged. Check with your wireless service provider to determine whether it participates in this program. To register to receive Alerts and designate the geographic area (up to five zip codes) for which you wish to receive them, go to www.wirelessamberalerts.org. You can use this same address to stop receiving Alerts if you no longer wish to participate. If you change your wireless service provider, you must re-register.

In any case, if you see a child, adult, or vehicle fitting an AMBER Alert description, immediately call the telephone number given in the AMBER Alert and provide authorities with as much information as possible.

Remember:

AMBER Alerts are only used for the most serious child abduction cases, when authorities believe a child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, not for runaways or many parental abductions.

In a White House Rose Garden ceremony, President George Bush signed the PROTECT Act of 2003 – a bill the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) hailed as ‘the most far-reaching legislation to date to protect America’s children,” according to NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen. “We praise President Bush for making the safety and well-beingof our children a federal priority.”

Amber Hagerman’s mother, Donna Norris, was at the signing. She said afterward that it was a “bittersweet” moment. “I’m “proud and happy and very excited, but our little girl was murdered for this bill,” she said tearfully.

Amber Alert Law
The “Amber Alert” bill traveled quickly through Congress after the 15-year-old girl, Elizabeth Smart, was rescued March 12, nine months after she was abducted from her Salt Lake City home. Her father, Edward, used the media attention to assist the campaign for the legislation.

The alerts have aleady been used by 41 states and give information about kidnapping victims over radio, TV nd electronic highway signs. Several children have been rescued after the public saw the alerts, then recognized a victim, an abductor or a license number.

Other Provisions
Provides federal grants to match local spending to create a national network of Amber Alerts.
Allows federal judges to order lifetime supervision of sex offenders.
Allows judges to deny pretrial release for those charged with child rape or abduction.
Mandates life sentences for two-time child-sex offenders.
Toughens child-pornography laws.

How does Code Amber work?

Upon receipt of an Amber Alert from Law Enforcement Authorities anywhere in the world, day or night, the CodeAmber ticker will be updated immediately on our server.

During an Amber Alert all of the relevant details provided by the reporting Authority will be scrolled in the Code Amber ticker window.

The information will include the location of the abduction and contact information for the reporting Authority as well as links (if available) to images of the abductee, suspect composites and any other details provided by the reporting Authority.

U.S. Postal Service issues new stamp promoting social awareness – AMBER Alert postage stamp issued during National Missing Children’s Day

May 23, 2006 WASHINGTON, DC— The U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of drawing attention to important social causes by issuing the AMBER Alert stamp to honor a program dedicated to the rapid recovery of abducted children. This stamp dedication ceremony was hosted by Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States, at the Department of Justice’s National Missing Children’s Day Awards presentations in Washington, DC.

A separate ceremony took place in Arlington, TX, the hometown of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped in 1996. AMBER is an acronym for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

AMBER Alert postage stamp issued during National Missing Children’s Day“We’re pleased that with our stamp program we have another opportunity to raise awareness of critical issues. If this stamp can help inform even one citizen of the AMBER Alert program, it can make a difference in the safety of a child,” said John E. Potter, Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service and dedicating official.

“Every time Americans see the new AMBER Alert stamp, they will be reminded of the important role they play, as citizens, to work with law enforcement and broadcasters to help recover abducted children and return them to their families,” said Schofield.

The stamp is illustrated with a chalk pastel drawing by artist Vivienne Flesher and shows a reunited mother and child entwined in each other’s arms. The type on each stamp and text across the header of the stamp pane reads “AMBER ALERT saves missing children.” These 39-cent stamps will be available nationwide today.

To see the AMBER Alert commemorative stamp and other images from the 2006 Commemorative Stamp Program, visit the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop and click on “For Education” and then on “Forthcoming Issues.”