AMBER Advocate Magazine

The new Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, also known as the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), now delivers AMBER Alerts to 97% of cell phones within the alert area. Minnesota’s first use of WEA results in the safe recovery of an 8-month-old boy after a teenager sees the alert on her phone and reports the suspect’s vehicle to 911. Developers add a loud, audible tone to ensure alerts are noticed, though this leads to complaints in Florida when an alert sounds at 1:45 a.m. In response, Florida AMBER Alert Coordinator Jessica Davenport implements a temporary policy restricting alerts between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and limiting them to specific regions. Because WEA alerts are limited to 90 characters and cannot include photos, links, or phone numbers, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) advises using them only when specific vehicle or child information is available. In Kansas, an AMBER Alert for a 16-year-old girl reportedly taken at gunpoint leads to her safe recovery after a citizen spots the suspect’s car and contacts authorities. National AMBER Alert Awareness Day is commemorated on January 13, the anniversary of Amber Hagerman’s murder, with states promoting their programs and encouraging public engagement. Mexico becomes the tenth country—and the first in Latin America—to implement a nationwide AMBER Alert system. AMBER Alert training is offered in Baltimore, Minneapolis, Tulsa, and Indianapolis in 2013, covering topics such as forensic response, canvassing, and child abduction response teams. In February, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is hacked, resulting in false alerts about a “zombie attack” being broadcast on ten TV stations across five states. Success stories from Washington, Tennessee, Virginia, and British Columbia demonstrate the global impact of AMBER Alerts in safely recovering abducted children.

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