Making America Safer For Our Kids

Week after week last summer, the news was filled with stories of child abductions that struck fear into the hearts of families across the country. This summer, parents across America can take comfort in the fact that the AMBER (America=s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert System to help recover abducted children quickly is now becoming a more integrated network that will cover all parts of the country. AMBER Alerts are broadcast when law enforcement determines that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger. In addition, there must be enough information available about the kidnapper or the child, such as appearance, vehicle description, etc., which could potentially lead to apprehension of a suspect and recovery of the child.

On August 3-5 in Dallas, the Department of Justice will bring together teams from each state, territory, and the District of Columbia at the first National AMBER Alert Training Conference to discuss ways to safeguard America=s children by strengthening and expanding the AMBER Alert system nationwide. At last count, 92 jurisdictions throughout the country have AMBER Alert programs in place, including 45 statewide programs and 16 regional efforts. These programs have resulted in the safe return of more than 80 abducted children. In just the first few weeks of July, 9 children were recovered with the help of AMBER Alerts B 3 in Alabama, 3 in Florida, another child in Texas, a child in Pennsylvania, and a 3-month-old baby in California.

In October 2002, President Bush called for the coordination of these individual Amber Alert systems into a nationwide network Given the speed with which child abductors can travel through the country, this coordination among state systems is critical. And on April 30, 2003 the President signed the PROTECT Act, passed by the Congress in part to accomplish this goal.

The President and Congress agree that, to fully protect children, we have to make sure that every state has an AMBER Alert plan in effect, and that every state has established protocols with neighboring states for issuing regional AMBER Alerts in cases where abductors are suspected of crossing state lines. Together with an advisory group made up of experts from law enforcement, broadcast, highway safety and other officials, we developed a national strategy to help states and communities achieve these goals.

At the August conference, we=ll unveil a new AMBER Alert Web page, which can be accessed from the OJP Web site. The page will feature a variety of resources for establishing and carrying out a successful AMBER Alert program and contacting existing program coordinators. We will soon make more training and technical assistance available to AMBER programs. We are also planning to share information with state AMBER Alert coordinators about technology options available to make AMBER Alerts work most effectively.

These are exciting innovations, but the critical element in any successful AMBER plan is the willingness of the American public to be actively aware of the information provided in an AMBER Alert and to respond quickly with any knowledge that might contribute to capturing the kidnapper and recovering the child. The safety of our children is a responsibility we all share.

To learn more about AMBER Alert, or any of the programs supported by the Office of Justice Programs that are designed to promote safe and secure communities, I invite you to visit the OJP Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

Deborah J. Daniels
Assistant Attorney General
Office of Justice Programs

August, 2003