Amber Alerts: To Call Or Not To Call?
Posted May 26, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s one of the questions that continue to haunt the Tori Stafford case – why didn’t authorities call an Amber Alert?
It’s been argued the emergency warning system would have helped alert the province to the plight of the eight-year-old soon after her mother realized she was missing. But officials insist the case simply didn’t meet the requirements for such a call and that it wouldn’t have been appropriate. That’s sparked a call for change and an online petition demanding it, even as the hunt for the Grade 3 student’s body goes on.
Here’s a look at how the Amber Alert system was created and when it’s supposed to be called.
Triumph From Tragedy
The Amber Alert system was created in 1996 in the United States following the brutal kidnapping and murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman.
The girl’s death prompted the residents and authorities in her home of Arlington, Texas to come up with a way to prevent similar crimes against children from occurring and they created America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response program.
Officials quickly realized the value of the idea and it spread to other cities, states and provinces – including Ontario. Police here say they issue about five alerts annually, and in many cases, children have been found safely.
What Is An Amber Alert?
It’s a warning system that involves authorities like the OPP and the Ontario Association of Broadcasters and the Ministry of Transportation.
The program is used to alert the public of child abductions where police believe a youngster is in danger.
The Amber Alert isn’t intended for use in parental abductions, but will be issued if authorities believe the child’s life is in danger.
How Effective Is It?
In any child abduction, the early stage of the investigation is critical and information obtained through the Amber Alert can help authorities find kids quickly.
The warning also acts as a deterrent to potential kidnappers, sending a message that crimes against children are intolerable.
Where Can You See Them?
Like Citytv, they’re designed to be everywhere. They appear immediately on all broadcast and many cable TV outlets, and on the radio. The names and descriptions are also displayed on programmable signs along the highways, a useful tool to find a fleeing car.
They can also be put on taxis, on the TTC and on posters in store windows, anywhere where they can be seen by a large number of people passing by. And in recent years, CityNews.ca is among the Internet sites that sends out an immediate breaking news message to all our subscribers and displays the story prominently on the home page.
The idea is to create awareness and watching eyes, and to let a predator know there’s no place to hide.
How Long Do They Last?
Just a few hours. The thinking is if the child or the suspect isn’t found by then, the alerts are no longer useful and different methods are employed.
What’s The Criteria?
The central controversy in the Tori Stafford case. An Amber Alert can be called if:
-A law enforcement agency confirms a child under 18 years of age has been abducted
-A law enforcement agency believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death
-There’s enough descriptive information about the child, abductor, and/or suspect’s vehicle (like make, model, licence plate, etc.) to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help in locating the child.
In the Woodstock case, cops didn’t have any real evidence of a suspect until the tape surfaced and they had no immediate description of any car.
Source: RCMP, OPP
