Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Amber Hagerman - Tha Amber Alert

Amber Hagerman was 9 years old when she was abducted off her bicycle on Jan. 13, 1996, in Arlington, Texas. Her disappearance and subsequent murder resulted in the Amber Alert system to notify the public of the abduction of a child. Now, state in the union has some form of an Amber Alert system.


The system is designed to enhance law enforcement's ability to respond effectively and efficiently, with the assistance of the community and media outlets, when a child has been abducted in the hope of a successful rescue.


According to a national study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and attorney general of the state of Washington, 44 percent of children who were abducted and murdered by a stranger were dead within one hour. Seventy-four percent are dead within three hours, and 91 percent are dead within 24 hours.


A key factor in finding missing or abducted children is how quickly an Amber Alert is broadcast and how the public helps law enforcement.


In case of an Amber Alert, as a public service, Wisconsin television and radio stations will interrupt programming to broadcast information about the abducted child by using the Emergency Alert System — the same that is used for severe weather.


Amber Alerts will be broadcast every 30 minutes for the first two hours, then every hour for the next three hours.


In addition, the Amber Alert system will utilize Wisconsin's Department of Transportation message boards, located on specific highways. The message boards can be used to broadcast information that the public can use to help locate the abducted child.


The public's role is critical to the success of an Amber Alert.



If you witness any 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.


People who locate an abductor should never take any action other than to contact law enforcement.

There are two ways you can get local Amber Alerts on your cell phone.



The first way is to visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org. There, the web page will guide you through setting up your phone for receiving locale Amber Alerts.


The second way is by using your cell phone. Text message the word AMBER followed by a space and your 5-digit ZIP code then send it to 26237. You will then receive on your cell phone a reply confirming your enrollment. If you wish to unsubscribe, send STOP to 26237.

The Wireless Amber Alert Service is free, and there is no charge to enroll.


As individuals and as members of our communities, we all should have a sense of responsibility to protect our children.

Todd Priebe is an officer with the Sheboygan Police's Community Policing Unit. He writes bi-weekly about safety in the county and can be reached at 459-3341.

News Article Source - http://www.sheboygan-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/SHE0101/803310408/1973