Joshua,
I like the concept of identifying the risk and threat levels, such as when executing a search or arrest warrant. However, an AMBER Alert is an effective investigative tool; the criteria for such should be protected from additional requirement/restriction and from being over used.
The criteria in Texas and Region #2:
1. Is this child 17 years of age or younger, whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose disappearance law enforcement has determined to be unwilling which poses a credible threat to the child’s safety and health; and if abducted by a parent or legal guardian, was the abduction in the course of an attempted murder or murder?
OR
Is this child 13 years of age or younger, who was taken (willingly or unwillingly) without permission from the care and custody of a parent or legal guardian by:
someone unrelated and more than three years older, or
another parent or legal guardian who attempted or committed murder at the time of the abduction?
2. Is this child in immediate danger of sexual assault, death or serious bodily injury?
3. Has a preliminary investigation verified the abduction and eliminated alternative explanations for the child’s disappearance?
4. Is sufficient information available to disseminate to the public to help locate the child, a suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction?
It has been my experience that many variables exist in child abduction cases; such as circumstances, subjective information, emotions and geographic locations. These variables make it difficult to develop an effective and comprehensive threat assessment tool for child abductions. My opinion is, abductions are too dynamic for additional requirements or criteria. The mere presence of these 4 requirements: 1. Child (17 and under or 13 and under), 2. Immediate risk of specific danger to the child, 3. Law Enforcement verification of child abduction and 4. sufficient information exists to help find the child, are simple and basic criteria that limit the subjective facts that often get imposed. The simpler the criteria, the easier it is to stay true to the criteria and purpose; therefore not every AMBER Alert request will be granted.
Regards
John L. Graham, ICAC Investigator, Texas Region #2 AMBER Alert Coordinator
Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Abilene Texas
325-669-2992 cell