What is the story behind the AMBER Alert?
The story behind AMBER ALERTS
- After the tragic abduction of Amber Hagerman on January 13, 1996, one woman decided to make a change.. Amber Hagerman was your typical 9-year-old girl living in Arlington, Texas. ...
- Amber Hagerman Disappears. YouTubeAmber Hagerman, all smiles in a family photo. ...
- A Tragedy Births Change And The Amber Alert System. The idea stuck. ...
Why do they call it a "AMBER Alert"?
Amber Alerts are designed to call the public's attention to a child who has been abducted and is at risk of being harmed. Information about the child is broadcast throughout the area via news media, on the Internet and by other means, such as highway billboards and signs.
Why an AMBER Alert may never be issued?
There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred. AMBER plans require law enforcement to confirm an abduction prior to issuing an alert. This is essential when determining the level of risk to the child.
What happens during an AMBER Alert?
During an AMBER alert, a notification is broadcasted out to everyone across the state through media coverage, phone notifications, and – even – email notifications. When you receive an AMBER alert, you will be prompted with a quick identification of a missing child and, potentially, the culprit.
Did they ever find AMBER from amber alert?
While Amber's case was never solved, detectives continue to hope for a tip that might lead to a break in the case. NewsNation's Markie Martin learned that the single eyewitness in her abduction has died.
Is the Amber Alert movie based on a true story?
Amber Alert (aka Amber's Story) The true story behind the Amber Alert. After the kidnap and murder of her 9-year-old daughter Amber Hagerman, Donna Whitson campaigns for a nationwide alert to help authorities locate abducted children.
How old was Amber Hagerman when she died?
9 years (1986–1996)Amber Hagerman / Age at death
How was Amber Alert killed?
Four days after her abduction, near midnight, Amber's naked body was discovered in a creek behind an apartment complex with severe laceration wounds to her neck....Namesake.Amber HagermanDiedJanuary 15, 1996 (aged 9) Arlington, Texas, U.S.Cause of deathMurderBody discoveredJanuary 17, 19963 more rows
How old was AMBER when she got kidnapped?
seven years oldThe kidnapping of Amber Swartz-Garcia (born August 19, 1980) occurred on June 3, 1988 in Pinole, California when she was seven years old. She had been playing jump rope in her front yard when she was abducted. Pinole, Contra Costa County, California, U.S.
Who died in Amber Alert movie?
After the kidnap and murder of her 9-year-old daughter Amber Hagerman, Donna Whitson campaigns for a nationwide alert to help authorities locate abducted children. Her efforts end up saving the life of 10-year-old Nichole Timmons, after she is abducted from her California home late one night in 2002.
Why do people kidnap children?
Some of the reasons why a stranger might kidnap an unknown child include: extortion to elicit a ransom from the parents for the child's return. illegal adoption, a stranger steals a child with the intent to rear the child as their own or to sell to a prospective adoptive parent.
Who started AMBER Alert?
The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children.
How did AMBER Alert get the name AMBER Alert?
AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The acronym was created as a legacy to 9- year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then brutally murdered.
Who is Curtis Dean Anderson?
Anderson was convicted and sentenced to over 300 years in prison for the 1999 kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Xiana Fairchild in Vallejo, California, and other crimes. He was captured after one of his kidnap victims was able to escape.
Who owns Amber Alert?
California law enforcement agenciesCalifornia AMBER Alerts are initiated solely by California law enforcement agencies.
What state has the most AMBER Alerts?
TexasA recent study by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children found the summer months saw a dramatic spike in AMBER Alerts and Texas ranked first in 2018 for number of alerts.
When was the Amber Alert for a 4-year-old boy?
March 19, 2007. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department requested an activation of the Southern Nevada EAS for an AMBER Alert for 4-year old boy. His non-custodial mother and another woman took the child on March 18 after they shot and killed the child’s uncle in his home in Altadena, California.
What was the Amber Alert in Nevada?
The Nevada Highway Patrol requested an activation of the Western Nevada/Eastern California Emergency Alert System for an AMBER Alert in response to a request from the California Highway Patrol. The Alert was for a 3-year old girl who was taken from her home in Yreka, California, at about 4:30 AM that morning. The girl’s mother saw the suspect driving off with her daughter and identified him as Kody Kaplon. An AMBER Alert was immediately issued in California and expanded to Nevada because some of the California agencies involved in the search shared resources with Nevada agencies and investigators were concerned that Kaplon might head east. Kaplon heard the AMBER Alert and contacted authorities and denied that he had the girl. Based on Kaplon’s statements, investigators from the Yreka Police Department began searching for the child in the Hawkinsville area. With the help of some volunteers who knew the area, The child was found under a bush near Kaplon’s car. The AMBER Alert was cancelled and investigators began questioning the child. She was able to tell them that Kaplon had attacked her, tried to kill her and then buried her under the bush where she was found. Later the child identified Kaplon in a police lineup and Kaplon was arrested on multiple felony charges. He remains in jail in Yreka and his attorney is seeking a change of venue for his trial. His next hearing is set for June 17, 2010 in Yreka.
What happened to the Amber Alert in Las Vegas?
The AMBER Alert was issued and a short time later family members called police and said that the suspect had driven to their house and pushed the child out of his car and onto their lawn and then drove off. The child was unharmed but covered with blood, indicating that she had been present when her mother was killed. The AMBER Alert was cancelled and North Las Vegas Police are still searching for the father whom they believe may have fled to Mexico. Jesus Gomez was featured on an episode of America’s Most Wanted broadcast on April 19, 2008.
What state is Amber Alert issued in?
An AMBER Alert was issued in California and CHP wanted to expand it to Nevada when witnesses reported seeing the car northbound on Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra. CHP was in the process of requesting NHP to issue an AMBER Alert when it was determined that the child had not been take and was safe back in Sacramento.
What state did the California Highway Patrol request an Amber Alert for?
California Highway Patrol requested an activation of the Nevada Emergency Alert System for an AMBER Alert for a 13-year old girl who was taken from her home in Victorville, California. The Nevada Highway Patrol initially denied the request because it did not meet Nevada 's criteria for timely activation.
What happened to Stacy Small Emerson?
Stacy Small Emerson's parental rights to this child and two other children were revoked because she had a history of drug abuse, erratic behavior and she was homeless. Witnesses told Reno Police that she also tried to take the two other children but was only able to grab this child. A witness observed her as she drove out of the parking lot and followed her to the area of I80 and Wells Avenue. The witness gave police a description of her vehicle and Police quickly issued the AMBER Alert. Investigators were able to locate Small at a friend's home in Sun Valley where she was arrested after a brief scuffle with police officers. Even though they had to use their Taser's to subdue her, the boy was recovered safely. Small faces charges of first degree kidnapping, child abuse and failure to appear in court on an unrelated felony warrant. The boy was returned to the custody of Child Protective Services.
When was the Amber Alert cancelled in Washoe County?
After no solid leads in the case and no sign that the children were still in the Washoe County area, investigators on Tuesday, July 13 cancelled the AMBER Alert for Nevada and Arizona and kept it in effect for Southern California.
What is Amber Alert?
AMBER Alerts make people aware of the most serious cases of child abduction wherein authorities believe a child’s life is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death. AMBER Alerts can occur in multiple states at once, and they can happen at any time. Every minute counts in child abduction cases.
Who is the kid behind Amber Alert?
After learning about Amber Hagerman, the child behind the AMBER alert system, check out the story of Sally Horner, whose kidnapping inspired the novel “Lolita.”. Then, read about the Boy in the Box, a creepy still-unsolved murder case.
How do Amber Alerts work?
Here’s how AMBER alerts work. Once law enforcement determines if a case meets certain criteria, authorities notify broadcasters and state transportation agencies. Alerts interrupt programming, appear on statewide transportation signs, show up on digital billboards and even arrive as text messages on cell phones.
How old was Amber Hagerman when she was in Girl Scouts?
Amber Hagerman was your typical 9-year-old girl living in Arlington, Texas. She was in the Girl Scouts. She and her 5-year-old brother, Ricky, loved to ride their bicycles together. Then, the unthinkable happened on one horrible afternoon.
When did Amber Hagerman get off her bike?
On January 13, 1996 , Amber Hagerman rode her bike into the parking lot of an abandoned grocery store. A man in a black pickup truck got out, forcefully took Amber off of her bike, and stuffed her into the cab of the truck.
Why was Amber's throat cut?
Authorities believed a thunderstorm swept Amber’s body into the creek because apartment maintenance workers in the area didn’t see anything out of the ordinary before the storm. Amber’s parents, Donna Whitson and Richard Hagerman, were in disbelief when police officers told them of the terrible news.
Who is Amber Hagerman's mother?
Donna Williams, the current name of Amber Hagerman’s mother, said that the alert system named in memory of her daughter is bittersweet. In an interview in 2016, 20 years after Amber’s murder, the grieving mother said, “There’s another part of me that wonders what would have happened if we would have had the alert when Amber went missing.
What does Amber Alert mean?
The police have reason to believe that the physical safety or the life of the child is in serious danger. The police have information that may help locate the child, the suspect and/or the suspect's vehicle. Once all 4 conditions are met, the police service may call an AMBER alert.
Where did Amber Alert originate?
It originated in the United States in 1996. AMBER is a backronym for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The alert was named after Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996.
How many Amber Alerts were issued in California?
According to Senator Dianne Feinstein, in its first month California issued 13 AMBER alerts; 12 of the children were recovered safely and the remaining alert was found to be a misunderstanding. By September 2002, 26 states had established AMBER Alert systems that covered all or parts of the state.
How old is a victim in Amber Alert?
The victim is a minor (under 18 years of age); There is enough information about the victim to increase the chances of the child being found by means of an AMBER Alert, such as a photo, information about the abductor or the vehicle used during the abduction;
Why are alerts inherently constrained?
They stated that alerts are inherently constrained, because to be successful in the most menacing cases there needs to be a rapid synchronization of several events (rapid discovery that the child is missing and subsequent alert, the fortuitous discovery of the child or abductor by a citizen, and so forth).
When did Amber Alerts start in Canada?
Canada's system began in December 2002, when Alberta launched the first province-wide system. At the time, Alberta Solicitor-General Heather Forsyth said "We anticipate an Amber Alert will only be issued once a year in Alberta. We hope we never have to use it, but if a child is abducted Amber Alert is another tool police can use to find them and help them bring the child home safely." The Alberta government committed to spending more than CA$ 1 million to expanding the province's emergency warning system so that it could be used effectively for Amber Alerts. Other Canadian provinces soon adopted the system, and by May 2004, Saskatchewan was the only province that had not established an Amber Alert system. Within the next year, the program was in use throughout the country.
When was Amber Alert introduced?
The program was introduced in Quebec on May 26, 2003. The name AMBER alert was then adapted in French to A lerte M édiatique B ut E nfant R echerché, which directly translates as "Media Alert for Child Recovery". In order to launch an AMBER alert, police authorities need to meet 4 criteria simultaneously and with no exceptions:
Overview
Influence
The United States Postal Service issued a postage stamp commemorating AMBER Alerts in May 2006. The 39-cent stamp features a chalk pastel drawing by artist Vivienne Flesher of a reunited mother and child, with the text "AMBER ALERT saves missing children" across the pane. The stamp was released as part of the observance of National Missing Children's Day.
In 2006, a TV movie, Amber's Story, was broadcast on Lifetime. It starred Elisabeth Röhm and Sop…
Activation criteria
The alerts are broadcast using the Emergency Alert System, which had previously been used primarily for weather bulletins, civil emergencies, or national emergencies. In Canada, alerts are broadcast via Alert Ready, a Canadian emergency warning system. Alerts usually contain a description of the child and of the likely abductor. To avoid both false alarms and having alerts ig…
Namesake
Amber Rene Hagerman (November 25, 1986 – January 15, 1996) was a young girl abducted while riding her bike with her brother in Arlington, Texas. Her younger brother, Ricky, had gone home without her because Amber had wanted to stay in the parking lot for a while. When he returned to go get her, Ricky found her bicycle without her. A neighbor who had witnessed the abduction called 911. On hearing the news, Hagerman's father, Richard, called Marc Klaas, whose daughter…
Program development
Within days of Amber's death, Donna Whitson was "calling for tougher laws governing kidnappers and sex offenders". Amber's parents soon established People Against Sex Offenders (P.A.S.O.). They collected signatures hoping to force the Texas Legislature into passing more stringent laws to protect children.
God's Place International Church donated the first office space for the organization, and as the s…
International adoption
In October 2000, the United States House of Representatives adopted H.Res. 605 which encouraged communities nationwide to implement the AMBER Plan. In October 2001, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had declined to be a part of the Amber Alert in February 1996, launched a campaign to have AMBER Alert systems established nationwide. In February 2002, the Fe…
Retrieval rate
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, of the children abducted and murdered by strangers, 75% are killed within the first three hours in the USA. Amber Alerts are designed to inform the general public quickly when a child has been kidnapped and is in danger so "the public [would be] additional eyes and ears of law enforcement". As of August 2013 , the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that 657 children have been successfully recovered as a result …
Controversies
Some outside scholars examining the system in depth disagree with the "official" results. A research team led by criminologist Timothy Griffin reviewed hundreds of abduction cases that occurred between 2003 and 2006 and found that AMBER Alerts actually had little apparent role in the eventual return of abducted children. The AMBER Alerts tended to be "successful" in relatively mundane abductions, such as when the child was taken by a noncustodial parent or other famil…