Newfoundland AMBER Alert Coordinator Sergeant Sean Ennis shared his perspective on child abduction alerts for “The Notebook,” a publication for women law enforcement officers working in Atlantic Canada, the four provinces on the Atlantic coast.
“In Atlantic Canada we have been truly fortunate that we have not had to utilize the AMBER Alert program to assist in the safe recovery of an abducted child. Despite this statistic, we cannot fail to plan for such an event. If we are to gain knowledge from the hard lessons learned by others, we as police officers must remain ever vigilant in our preparations to ensure that if such a case does occur that we are ready to respond.
“Spreading the message in Atlantic Canada of an ongoing abducted child can pose significant logistical challenges. It must first be stated that our local media stand ready to assist us in the event of abduction. It is equally true that for those of us who live in a rural setting or reside in a province with a population density which does not make the use of overhead neon road signs feasible, we are challenged to find new and innovative ways to spread the message further.
“As one of the longest serving AMBER Alert Coordinators in Canada, I can honestly say there have been times when moving the message to the community was received with the same response as predicting a tsunami on the prairie. We as humans often are found unprepared because of an ‘it has never happened before, therefore it would not happen’ mind set. A review of history will reveal many such examples, when we ignore signs that in retrospect seem to be obvious.
“Community awareness and partnerships coupled with the success of the AMBER Alert Program have made it a necessary weapon in the arsenal of police services responding to child abduction cases. It should be said that the AMBER Alert Program is not designed to replace the investigative process, but it exists to enhance the search so that we might bring another child safely home.
“In Atlantic Canada, like the lighthouses that dot our coastlines, we must continue to remain vigilant, warning all of a potential threat which though unseen may loom just below the surface. We can achieve that goal by heightening community awareness and empowerment, and by educating our citizens on how they can assist police to ensure the safety of our children.”