What is an AMBER Alert?
• The Amber Alert Program is used during the early stages of a police investigation to quickly convey to the public detailed information concerning abducted children in imminent danger, and, where available, information about suspect(s). • The Ontario Amber Alert Program is a voluntary cooperative plan between the OPP, the Ontario Association of Broadcasters, law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Transportation, and Bell Canada. • Electronic highway traffic signs, Ontario Lottery Terminals, the media, and Bell Canada help communicate when an Amber Alert is issued • The Program’s goal is by broadcasting information to the public, it will assist in the safe return of abducted children through public observations and reports to the police.
An AMBER Alert is part of a nationwide alert system created by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. It is designed to help expedite the recovery of abducted children by local, state, and national law enforcement. The AMBER Alert System can be traced back to 1996 when it first began in Texas as a result of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman’s kidnapping. AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and pays tribute to Hagerman, who was tragically killed by her abductor. In 2002, the AMBER Alert system became a nationally coordinated effort and is now in place in all 50 states. The system works through the coordinated efforts of local law enforcement, broadcasters, and public transportation officials. When law enforcement determines that a child has been abducted, they issue a statewide AMBER Alert, which is then broadcast over television, radio, highway signs, and even tickers over the Internet and to wireless phones. An AMBER Alert interrupts all regu
