Missouri AMBER Alert A Program To Recover Abducted Children In Missouri

What Is AMBER Alert?

AMBER Alert (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) is a voluntary partnership involving law enforcement, broadcasters, and other agencies and is based on the same concept used to alert the public of a severe weather emergency. During an AMBER Alert, a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) message is sent to cell phones, an urgent news bulletin is broadcast over the airwaves using the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and other highway and electronic signs are activated to enlist the aid of the public in finding an abducted child and stopping the perpetrator.

Why Was AMBER Alert Created?

The AMBER Plan was created in 1996 as a powerful legacy to nine year-old Amber Hagerman, a 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" over the airwaves, so that they could help prevent such incidents in the future. In response to the community's concern for the safety of children, the Dallas/Fort Worth Association of Radio Managers teamed up with local law enforcement agencies in Northern Texas and developed this innovative early warning system to help find abducted children. Statistics show that, when abducted, a child's greatest enemy is time.

"Seventy four percent of children that are kidnapped and later found murdered, are killed within the first three hours after being taken..."

The Missouri Plan

In 2003, the Missouri Legislature passed Senate Bill 30 that created the Missouri AMBER Alert System. The Department of Public Safety was given the responsibility to develop a system that would divide the state into regions and provide a coordinated effort between local law enforcement agencies, transportation, and local media to aid in the identification and location of abducted children. The law also established an oversight committee chaired by the director of the Department of Public Safety and consisting of members from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Department of Health and Senior Services, Department of Transportation, Missouri Lottery, Missouri Police Chiefs Association, Missouri Sheriffs Association, and the Missouri Broadcasters Association.

AMBER Alert Criteria

In order for an AMBER Alert to be forwarded for dissemination via the Alert Missouri program the following criteria must be met:

1. Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred, which meets the definition in 565.110 or 565.115 RSMo.
2. Law enforcement officials believe there is a credible threat of serious bodily injury or death to the victim.
3. Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert.
4. The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years of age or younger.
5. The child's name and other critical data elements including the child abduction (CA) flag have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.

AMBER Alerts are issued by a law enforcement agency in cooperation with the media only in circumstances meeting the state AMBER Alert criteria. If an abduction or missing person case does not meet the AMBER Alert criteria, many other investigative tools can be employed including the Missouri Endangered Person Advisory.

Alert Activation Process

1. Trained local law enforcement personnel in the community where the abduction occurred must first determine if all the activation criteria are met.
2. If so, the local agency should contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F Headquarters at 573-751-1000 and request an AMBER Alert. Troop F Communications will contact the state AMBER Alert coordinator or their designee and initiate a conference call. After a brief discussion regarding the abduction and each criteria section, the coordinator or designee will make the decision whether the situation rises to the level of an AMBER Alert.
3. If not already completed, the local agency must initiate a Missing Person computer entry in MULES as required in the National Child Search Act (42 U.S.C. 5779, 5780).
4. The local agency should also fill out the AMBER Alert request form in MULES 5 (type AMBER in the command line).
5. If the local agency does not have access to the AMBER Alert request form in MULES 5, complete a Missouri AMBER Alert Abduction Form found on the Missouri State Highway Patrol website under "Missing Persons." This form can be emailed to moalerts@mshp.dps.mo.gov or faxed to 573-751-6814.
6. If the coordinator or designee doesn't feel the situation rises to the level of an AMBER Alert, other options can be explored if a child endangerment incident is evident.

Our Mission

The mission of the AMBER Alert Program is to develop and coordinate the efforts of law enforcement, the media, and transportation in order to increase public participation in safely recovering abducted children through targeted education, increased communication, and effective sharing of resources.

What Can You Do?

• Work with your local law enforcement agency to host a child safety seminar at your school, church, community center, civic organization, or neighborhood group.
• Know who lives in your community. Our state tracks sex offenders. Know who they are and where they live. Access the Missouri Sex Offender Registry at www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov.
• Pay attention to missing children flyers and notices in stores.
• Keep current information and photos of your children.

To View Active AMBER Alerts In Missouri

Please visit www.MOAlerts.mo.gov to view any active AMBER Alerts in the state of Missouri. You can also sign up to receive notification of an activation of an AMBER Alert via email on this website. Click on "Subscribe to MO Alerts," enter your email address and click "Subscribe."

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