AMBER Advocate Magazine

Issue 09

National AMBER Alert Day is celebrated on January 13, marking the anniversary of Amber Hagerman’s kidnapping, with events held across the country to raise awareness and promote child safety. In Massachusetts, a child safety fair at the New England Patriots’ museum offers free electronic child ID kits to families. Utah distributes over half a million child ID kits to students, conducts a statewide AMBER Alert test, and provides Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training. In California, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department launches a new regional toll-free number for reporting tips about abducted children. Kansas releases new television and radio public service announcements to educate the public on wireless alerts and the criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert. A Family Roundtable in Washington, D.C. brings together 28 victims and family members to share feedback on handling child abduction cases, using a timeline approach to examine each stage from the initial report to the final court appeal. The Netherlands issues its first-ever AMBER Alert for a four-year-old boy, who is found safe at a McDonald’s restaurant just 50 minutes after the alert is issued. In Utah, truck driver Kerry Hammond receives the Rachael Runyan Award for helping recover a 14-year-old girl after hearing an AMBER Alert on the radio and spotting the suspect’s vehicle. The AMBER Alert program continues to expand in Indian Country, with 13 Tribal Nations now participating in the pilot initiative and more expressing interest in joining.

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