Photo of man wearing sunglasses with watery, mountainous Alaska in the background — Lieutenant Benjamin Endres at work.

By Denise Gee Peacock

Alaska is a land of staggering scale and beauty, but its rugged terrain is as dangerous as it is scenic. For Lieutenant Benjamin Endres of the Alaska State Troopers (AST), the “Last Frontier” isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a massive, 665,000-square-mile jurisdiction where the environment itself is often the greatest threat to life.

Based in Anchorage as the Statewide Search and Rescue Coordinator for the AST, Endres oversees a complex web of logistics in a state that lacks traditional counties or sheriff’s offices. From coordinating canine teams for missing persons in remote Yup’ik villages to managing the state’s AMBER Alert system, his work is a race against both time and the rapidly shifting Alaskan weather.

Originally a law enforcement veteran from Northern Indiana, Endres moved to Alaska in 2008, seeking the ultimate professional challenge. Today, he sits at the center of a vital support network, balancing the roles of emergency management liaison and communications coordinator to keep Alaskans safe in one of the world’s most unforgiving climates. (“The environment in Alaska kills a lot of people,” he says.)

You spent 20 years in law enforcement in Indiana. What drew you to the Alaska State Troopers?
I was born and raised in northern Indiana and did about 20 years in law enforcement there before coming up to Alaska at the end of 2008. My uncle was a Michigan State Trooper and my childhood hero; he gave me my initial interest in rural law enforcement. When I was reaching the end of my time in Indiana, I started thinking about where the biggest, most challenging, most rural place would be to finish my career. Alaska was the answer.

Group of Alaska State Troopers and volunteers in front of a helicopter on a snow-packed environment — Alaska State Troopers in Fairbanks worked with the volunteer search team PAWS to conduct helicopter operation training and familiarization flights with the handlers and dogs.

How does the structure of law enforcement in Alaska differ from the “Lower 48”?
It is very different because Alaska does not have counties, sheriff’s offices, or deputies. We have boroughs, but many areas are “unorganized,” meaning there is no local borough government at all. Troopers provide complete law enforcement services for everything outside of traditional city limits. In remote posts like Glennallen, you’re the only game in town for an area as big as some states. You have to be a mix of everything—think Andy Griffith-style sheriff to forensic investigator to prisoner transport officer.

What are the primary logistical hurdles when a search and rescue call comes in from a remote village?
Geography and weather are our biggest masters. Many communities are completely off-road and rely on air, riverboat, or snow machine (or “snowmobile” as they’re called in the Lower 48). If a child goes missing in a village that doesn’t have a trooper post, we have to fly someone in. However, our pilots need Visual Flight Rules (VFR) visibility; if there is blowing snow or freezing rain, they simply cannot fly. This can cause delays of several days before we can even get boots on the ground.

You also manage the state’s AMBER Alert system. Why is the criteria for these alerts so strict?
In my three years in this position, we’ve only had two AMBER Alerts, and thankfully both kids were recovered successfully. We keep the criteria strict—requiring a confirmed abduction and imminent danger—specifically to avoid “alert fatigue.” We want people to take it seriously when their phone goes off at 2 a.m. Alaska is also limited in how it can broadcast these; for example, we only have two highway signs in the entire state capable of displaying emergency messages, and both are in the Anchorage area.

Can you explain the role of the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) and how they bridge the law enforcement gap in rural areas?
The VPSO program was started to provide a physical safety presence in small villages that are hard for Troopers to staff. The state funds it, but the officers—I think we have about 80 of them now—work for Native corporations or boroughs. They’re trained in law enforcement, first aid, and firefighting. It’s a very tough job; it takes a unique individual to be the law enforcement representative in a village of only 300 or 400 people where everyone knows you. And often there’s just one VPSO—if even that—available to serve a vast area.

Communication seems like a massive hurdle. How do you stay in touch with officers in the field? And how do you try to locate cell phones?
Communication with my colleagues is one of my biggest responsibilities, and it’s a constant struggle. In the “Rail Belt” near populated areas, we have good radio coverage. But in Western Alaska, a trooper on a snow machine often has zero radio communication between villages. Even cell service is problematic; most villages use a provider called GCI, which isn’t always compatible with AT&T or Verizon. When someone goes missing, we can’t “triangulate” a phone to within a few feet like you can in Los Angeles; we’re lucky if we can get it within a mile of a single cell tower.

What are some of the other challenges you face?
Communication delays can pose a problem when people think, as some still do, that you have to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing. We do our best to try to educate people about that. We also face perpetual staffing shortages despite our best efforts to recruit people into taking good-paying positions up here. The number of new recruits can’t keep up with the number of retirements.

What’s a typical day like for you?
Anything but typical. They’re very different and challenging in their own way. When I’m not coordinating logistics for search and rescue teams—for example figuring out where they’ll spend the night (often in sleeping bags at village schools) or trying to line up a helicopter—I’m running back and forth from our radio technicians to get portable radios fixed.

Tell us about the significance of search and rescue (SAR) teams in Alaska.
We have a lot of volunteer search and rescue groups, which we’re grateful for, especially because they operate at a professional level. Coordinating their help is a big part of my job. The Alaska State Troopers are statutorily responsible for leading search and rescue (SAR) operations statewide, and we conduct more than 450 missions each year. All troopers are trained in SAR and work alongside more than 1,100 volunteers, as well as multiple agencies and organizations. SAR teams are deployed along with aircraft, vessels, ground teams, and canines to locate lost or injured residents and visitors. Once we’ve activated them for a mission, they get covered by the AST for workman’s comp should anybody be injured. And then we reimburse them for their expenses for travel and food. So we really count on them.

What is the most rewarding part of this work for you?
In search and rescue, you deal with a lot of tragedy, like unrecovered bodies from avalanches, that really wear on you. But the “wins” give us fuel to move forward. Last week, a 15-year-old fell 40 feet in the mountains and broke his back. Seeing the video of him being successfully hoisted into a U.S. Air Force helicopter by pararescuemen and knowing he’s now recovering—that’s what makes you want to get back out there and find the next person who needs help.

The Village Public Safety Operations (VPSO) program—established in 1979 and elevated to a standalone division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety in 2024—provides dedicated oversight and training for rural public safety. VPSOs serve Alaska’s most remote communities by decreasing emergency response times, maintaining a proactive, ongoing safety presence, and delivering law enforcement, fire prevention, emergency medical, and search-and-rescue services.

Building on a 47-year legacy, the program nearly doubled its ranks from 42 officers in 2020 to 87 by January 2025. It has also achieved impressive graduation and retention rates exceeding 80%.

Recent improvements driving the program's success include:

Enhanced Leadership: The addition of Regional Public Safety Officers (RPSOs) has closed long-standing gaps in rural oversight by strengthening field supervision, training, and regional coordination.

Strategic Upgrades: The division has reinforced its effectiveness through improved fiscal accountability, investments in infrastructure and technology, and deeper partnerships with Alaska Native Tribes.

Long-Term Focus: While remote recruitment remains challenging, targeted hiring strategies and continued legislative backing positions the VPSO program for sustained growth and a lasting impact on rural public safety.

Source: Alaska Department of Public Safety, VPSO Division

Photo of people looking at a gravesite decorated with flowers. Another photo showing Ashley Johnson-Barr holding a container of freshly picked blueberries. — Left: Ashley Johnson-Barr's gravesite is awash in purple, her favorite color. Right: Ashley shows off a pail of just-picked blueberries.

By Denise Gee Peacock

On a quiet September evening in 2018, 10-year-old Ashley Johnson-Barr walked to a nearby park in Kotzebue, Alaska, to meet a friend—and never made it home.

“Her legacy will live on through educating others,” says her father, Walter “Scotty” Barr. “Keep your children close. Talk to them. Do what you can to keep them safe.”

Kotzebue is a predominantly Iñupiat community of about 3,200 residents, located above the Arctic Circle in the northwest part of the state—a place accessible only by air or water. It’s a closely knit region where neighbors know one another, where children play freely in the longsummer light, and where the idea of a child vanishing feels unthinkable.

Yet within hours of Ashley’s disappearance, that sense of safety was shattered. Residents fanned out across tundra and shoreline, and hundreds of volunteers joined the search.

Eight days later, Ashley was found dead on a remote stretch of tundra more than 2 miles from the playground where she was last seen. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. “I screamed. I cried. It’s a moment that never leaves you,” Barr recalls. “Then I had to tell Ashley’s mother, her siblings, our family. That part was unbearable.”

Ashley’s death shocked Alaska. But it did something more: It forced the state, and the nation, to confront a painful truth long known within Indigenous communities. Her story was not an isolated tragedy. It was part of a pattern that many Alaska Natives were keeping silent about.

“No more silence,” Barr says.

Two smiling little girls at a fast-casual restaurant--Ashley Johnson Barr and her sister Amber Barr

Ashley Johnson-Barr, left, with her sister Amber Kasey Barr

Two men (teachers) near a display screen showing a missing person

AMBER Alert in Indian Country Associates Matthew Hall, left, and Julian Garcia instructing in Chickaloon, Alaska.

Four people near a sign that reads "Alaska's Angel"--at Ashley Johnson-Barr Memorial Park

From left: AMBER Alert in Indian Country Associates Walter "Scotty" Barr (father of Ashley Johnson-Barr) and Mary Ferguson with Janell Rasmussen and Tyesha Wood of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program/National Criminal Justice Training Center.

Group of people in front of a IRA Kotzebue sign

From left: Walter "Scotty" Barr, Saima Chase, Tyesha Wood, Mary Ferguson, Janell Rasmussen, and Steven Rexford at the Tribal government office in Kotzebue, Alaska.

Woman standing in front of a screen in a classroom

Participants of a AMBER Alert in Indian Country class in Sitka receive a warm welcome from a local nonprofit representative.

A Tanana Chiefs Conference dedication sign at a new missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) memorial in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Join us for a powerful two-part webinar series exploring the challenges of responding to abducted and missing child cases in Alaska. Using the tragic case of Ashley Johnson-Barr as a catalyst for change, these sessions highlight the critical need for community coordination, law enforcement training, and the impact of the AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) program.

Part 1: The Case & Response (Recorded)
Discover the investigative hurdles and the importance of rapid, coordinated action in rural Alaska. Available now on-demand.

Part 2: A Path Forward (Live Panel)
Delve deeper into the systemic changes needed with a panel discussion led by AIIC Associate and Alaska Native Tribal Court Judge Mary Ferguson. Mark your calendar for May 19 and register!

SB 151 & Mandated Reporting: Ashley Johnson-Barr’s case accelerated the push for mandatory entry of missing persons into federal databases (NamUs), ensuring that jurisdictional lines no longer hinder the search for the vulnerable.
Investigative Specialization: There has been the recent establishment of dedicated MMIP investigators and Tribal Liaisons within the Alaska Department of Public Safety. These critical roles bridge the gap between rural communities and state resources.
Data Integration: The ongoing work to reconcile state records with community-led databases is a testament to the fact that better data leads to better outcomes.

A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

For decades, Indigenous communities across the United States and Canada have raised alarms about the disproportionate rates at which Native people—particularly women and girls—go missing or are killed.

In Alaska, those disparities are especially stark. The state is home to 229 federally recognized Tribes, and Alaska Natives make up about 19% of the population. Yet they account for a disproportionately high share of homicide victims and missing persons cases. (See “By the Numbers,” below left.)

Advocates refer to this epidemic as the missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) crisis. It is not defined by a single case, but by a troubling pattern: disappearances that receive little media attention, investigations slowed by geography or jurisdictional complexity, and families left searching for answers.

Ashley’s case broke through that silence. “It made people feel not as safe here as they once felt,” Barr says. Her death also underscored the role of substance abuse, a factor in many violent crimes in Alaska. Barr says his daughter’s killer, Peter Wilson, admitted to being on a drinking binge at the time of the attack. Wilson would be sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Barr now speaks openly about the need for prevention, treatment, and accountability. He works as a trauma-informed trainer for the Southcentral Foundation of Kotzebue. He also serves as a surviving family member Associate for the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College. As part of that work, Barr’s insights are molding trainings hosted by NCJTC’s AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and its AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) initiative.

Jurisdictions, Geography, and Delays

To understand why cases like Ashley’s can be challenging to investigate, it is necessary to understand Alaska itself, not just its daunting geography but its legal landscape.

“Alaska is a Public Law 280 state,” says Mary Ferguson, a Tribal court judge for the Sitka Tribe. The MMIP advocate, who started her career in law enforcement, is a member of Alaska’s Tlingit people. “What that means is that Tribes don’t have criminal jurisdiction. We can only handle civil matters.”

That distinction is critical and widely misunderstood. “When someone goes missing, families often turn to the Tribe,” Ferguson says. “But legally, we can’t step in the way people think we can.” (See "ANCSA and PL-280 at a Glance," below.)

Unlike much of the Lower 48, Alaska does not operate under a traditional “Indian Country” framework. There are no reservations in the same sense (except for the Metlakatla Indian Community), no Tribal police forces with broad criminal authority, and no casino revenue streams funding public safety services.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) fundamentally reshaped land ownership and governance in the 1970s, creating a system that continues to affect how crimes are investigated. “All of that impacts what happens when someone goes missing,” says Ferguson.

The result is a system that can be difficult to navigate—not only for families, but for professionals working within it.

To help others alleviate uncertainty, Ferguson volunteers to help families struggling with MMIP issues while also serving as a NCJTC Associate who educates law enforcement professionals about the complexities faced by Alaska Natives. For AATTAP-NCJTC she is moderator of two webinars that focus on Ashley’s case. (See “Missing in Alaska: The Webinars,” above left.)

Even when jurisdiction is clear, the physical realities of Alaska present enormous challenges. The state spans more than 665,000 square miles, more than twice the size of Texas.

Within its extremely remote environs, many communities are accessible only by bush plane or boat. Law enforcement coverageis thin, and response times can stretch for hours, or days.

”When someone disappears in an Alaska remote area, with no road system, there could be a delayed response from law enforcement assigned to these vast regions, and specialized investigators can be hundreds of miles away,” says Tyesha Wood, Program Manager for AMBER Alert in Indian Country.

Weather adds another layer of unpredictability. “If conditions are good, it might take three hours by plane,” Wood says. “If weather prevents flying, it could take up to three days by boat.” Ferguson says these delays are compounded by infrastructure limitations.

“There’s only one crime lab for the entire state,” shesays. “Evidence, even digital evidence like cellphones, sometimes has to be sent thousands of miles away for analysis, as was thecase for Ashley’s phone.”

All of this takes time. And as Wood says: “In MMIP cases, those first hours can determine outcomes.”

Ashley’s case reflected those realities. While local responders and volunteers mobilized immediately, additional resources took days to arrive. Barr says forensic analysis of Ashley’s phone ultimately helped locate her, but it required time and specialized capabilities not always readily available in rural Alaska. “This is not unique to Ashley’s case,” Wood says. “It’s a structural issue.” For families, those delays can feel unbearable. “Families deserve urgency,” Ferguson says. “They deserve answers.” But she also emphasizes the complexity facing law enforcement.

“I want people to understand both sides,” Ferguson says. “These cases are extreme and complex. Resources are limited. Distances are vast. The constantly changing weather alone can stop searches entirely.”

Even when agencies are doing everything possible, Ferguson says, it may not feel that way to families waiting for answers.

“Sometimes people are doing everything they can, and yet it still doesn’t feel like enough,” Ferguson says. That’s because the system itself is stretched to its limits due to staffing shortages. And that tension between urgency and limitation sits at the heart of many MMIP cases.

Beyond geography, legal complexity can further slow investigations. Depending on where a crime occurs and who is involved, authority may fall to Tribal, state, or federal agencies. Those distinctions are often invisible to families, but their consequences are not. “This fragmentation can slow investigations and create confusion,” Wood says.

Data gaps have also long obscured the scope of the crisis. For years, cases involving Indigenous victims were underreported or inconsistently tracked. “But without reliable data, it’s difficult to allocate resources or identify patterns,” Ferguson says.

Advocates say these systemic challenges are compounded by a history of mistrust between Indigenous communities and institutions. And when cases receive limited attention from law enforcement or the media, mistrust can deepen.

A Community in Grief—and Action

In Kotzebue, Ashley’s death left a lasting scar. The search for her had united the community. The outcome brought collective grief and resolve. Vigils were held. Families shared stories of their own missing loved ones, many of which had gone unheard. Ashley’s name became a rallying point and March 12 (her birthday) was officially designated by the state legislature as Ashley Johnson-Barr Day.

Across Alaska, similar MMIP-focused conversations began to emerge. What had once been spoken quietly was now being said aloud. Her case helped prompt change, including expanded rapid-response efforts for missing children and increased federal attention to MMIP cases. Alaska also established a task force focused on the crisis, with an emphasis on improving data collection, coordination, and support for rural communities. (See “Ashley’s Legacy in Alaska,” below.)

The changes did not solve the problem, but they marked a shift “from awareness to action,” Barr says. One of the defining features of the MMIP crisis is invisibility. Many victims’ names are never widely known. Ashley’s is. “Names matter,” Wood says. “When names fade, so does urgency.”

Awareness, she says, creates pressure—and pressure leads to resources. “These stories matter. People are still going missing. When we keep telling these stories, it helps the entire system respond.”

Ashley’s story resonated beyond Alaska because it challenged assumptions about who is at risk. She was a child, not an adult. She was playing in a park, not living on the margins.

Barr works to ensure people remember Ashley as more than a victim. “She was a kind, loving girl,” he says. “She loved playing outside, going to church, swimming, and basketball. She loved picking berries, and purple was her favorite color.” (Read Barr’s moving online letter to Ashley to mark what would have been her 18th birthday.)

The Work That Remains

Despite increased awareness, factors driving the MMIP crisis continue to persist: geographic isolation, limited resources, jurisdictional complexity, and longstanding mistrust.

Advocates emphasize that awareness is only the beginning. “Families often don’t know what to do first,” Ferguson says. “They don’t know who to call or what steps to take.”

In some cases, she says, families feel as though nothing is happening at all. “I’ve helped families start searches, connect people to resources and push agencies to act,” she says. “Families are desperate, and they deserve someone who understands the system.”

Helping families understand how to advocate for themselves can make a critical difference. “That knowledge matters,” Ferguson says. “It can help bring attention and resources when they’re needed most.”

Ashley’s life was brief, but her impact endures. Her story brought national attention to an overlooked crisis. It helped change how missing-person cases are approached in Alaska. And it gave voice to families who had long been searching for answers.

“Every person matters. Every story matters,” says AMBER Alert in Indian Country Associate Alica Wildcatt. “Every life deserves to be seen.”

Barr agrees. “Ashley’s life will continue to have meaning as long as we honor it through action,” he says. “We need better training, stronger laws, and more prevention, not just awareness.”

84.3% of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women have experienced violence in their lifetime, while 56.1% of AI/AN women have experienced sexual violence.
Despite being only 19% of Alaska’s population, Native women represent 47% of rape victims and are 250% over-represented in domestic violence cases.
Alaska accounts for a disproportionate share of the 4,200 unsolved nationwide MMIP cases.
AN people make up about 40% of the United States’ 575 federally recognized Tribes.

Sources: Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); compiled from multiple sources by National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

September 6, 2018:

5:20 p.m. Ashley Johnson-Barr’s convicted killer, Peter Wilson, departs on a four-wheeler after being asked by friend “JJ” to pick up her child and another child (not Ashley) at Rainbow Park (now the Ashley Johnson-Barr Memorial Park), about a mile away.

5:30 p.m. Ashley is last seen alive near Rainbow Park; her parents’ calls go unanswered.

7:20 p.m. After two hours, Wilson returns to JJ’s mother’s house without children, upsetting JJ.

LATE NIGHT JJ finds a ringing phone in Wilson’s jacket, sees Ashley’s name on it, and calls Ashley’s mother; Wilson claims he found it outside.Ashley’s father retrieves the phone.

September 7:

EARLY MORNING Wilson goes to the Kotzebue Police Department and repeats the story about finding the cellphone downtown. He says he’s heard about a missing girl by the name of “Chelsea” or “Kelsie.”

September 10:

Kotzebue Police and Alaska State Troopers ask the FBI to join the investigation.

September 13:

Wilson is interviewed by the FBI. He denies using a four-wheeler on Sept. 6; ever knowing Ashley (despite them being relatives who knew each other, Scotty Barr says); and ever seeing Ashley’s name appear on the cellphone while it was ringing.

September 14:

EARLY MORNING Guided by GCI records, investigators search an area 2 miles east of downtown Kotzebue.

4:15 p.m. Ashley’s body is found in remote tundra a quarter-mile off the road, concealed by thick brush and a depression in the ground.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and the state’s PL-280 status leave Alaska Native communities with limited authority, fewer resources, and heavy reliance on a strained state system. These challenges help explain why MMIP cases like Ashley Johnson-Barr’s face extraordinary challenges from the start.

ANCSA: Land Without Reservations

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was passed in 1971 to resolve land ownership in Alaska.

What it did: Replaced reservations with Native-run corporations; transferred 44 million acres and nearly $1 billion to those corporations; and made most Alaska Native land corporate-owned, not Tribal or federal.

Why it matters: Most of Alaska is not “Indian Country.” Tribes do not control land the way reservations do, and Tribes lack the type of funding and authority that is common in the Lower 48.

Impact on MMIP cases: ANCSA limits Tribal control over land and resources, complicating coordination when someone goes missing and reducing the tools Tribes have to respond.

PL-280: Why Jurisdiction Works Differently in Alaska

Public Law 280 (PL-280) is a federal law passed in 1953. Alaska became a mandatory PL-280 state in 1958.

What it means: The State of Alaska has primary criminal jurisdiction; Tribes do not have criminal authority (Tribal courts only handle civil cases); federal law enforcement plays a limited role.

Why it matters in missing-person cases: Tribes cannot lead criminal investigations or detain suspects (local police or Alaska State Troopers are responsible), and in some rural areas responders may be hundreds of miles away.

The impact: PL-280 limits Tribal sovereignty and local response, leaving families dependent on an often under-resourced state system—especially during the critical first hours after someone goes missing.

Effective law enforcement response to the missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) crisis requires moving beyond standard procedures toward active coordination and trust-building.

Acknowledge the Scale: Alaska Native women and girls are disproportionately affected, though men and elders are also victims. Understanding this systemic context is vital.
Turn Awareness Into Action: Awareness only protects families when combined with cultural respect, specialized training, and rapid collaboration.
Respond Immediately: Never assume a disappearance is voluntary. In rural Alaska, distance and weather already cause delays; do not add to them by waiting to engage search resources.
Prioritize Accurate Data: Ensure cases are entered into the NCIC quickly with correct racial and Tribal identification to prevent the historical issue of misclassification.
Act Despite Jurisdictional Complexity: Do not let confusion over Tribal, state, or federal authority stall an investigation. Initiate the response first, then coordinate with agencies like the FBI or State Troopers.
Build Community Trust: Past neglect has created reporting hesitance. Overcome this by partnering with Tribal leaders and providing families with regular updates, even when there is no new information.
Partner With Families: Treat families as essential sources of information rather than obstacles. Avoid victim-blaming language and take their concerns seriously.

Check Out the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Website for More MMIP-related Investigative Training and Resources.

By Denise Gee Peacock

As the 30th anniversary of Amber Hagerman’s murder approaches, the search for her killer continues. Mark Simpson, the case’s original investigative supervisor at the Arlington Police Department (APD) from 1996 to 2007, reflects on a crime that transformed policing.

“We realized ... we didn’t have a major case response plan,” he recalls. The tragedy forced advancements, most notably the AMBER Alert system, but for Simpson, the goal remains: “to see the case solved.”

Today, that mission falls to APD Detective Krystalynne Robinson. She keeps Amber’s portrait near her desk as a daily reminder. Despite thousands of leads and decades of work, the case is far from cold; tips still arrive weekly. Robinson is now vetting labs for advanced DNA testing, driven by the same unwavering goal: “to get justice.”

*Retired Arlington (Texas) Police Department Sergeant Mark Simpson served as the Investigative Supervisor for the Amber Hagerman case during its earliest days.*

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Amber Hagerman abduction and murder, what goes through your mind?

The likelihood that whoever committed the crime may still be out there troubles me. But I also look at everything that resulted from Amber’s death—the advancements law enforcement has made, not only in training but also investigative tactics, and our ability to respond to child abductions, including the AMBER Alert system—that we didn’t have before. It’s horrible that it took this little girl’s death to do that, but at least her death was not in vain.

What were some advancements within the Arlington Police Department?

We realized pretty quickly into Amber’s investigation that we didn’t have a major case response plan. For a situation requiring immediate, extensive deployment of personnel, who would we deploy? How long would we deploy them? In a major deployment, you can push people 18 hours, 20 hours, sometimes more, but then they start to make mistakes. And afterward, if you haven’t accomplished what you set out to do, what is the follow-up plan? There’s got to be a transition into another group of detectives who can keep the investigation moving. We had a lot to learn—and rapidly.

Was this a precursor to a child abduction response team (CART)?

I wish we’d had the tremendous forethought to create a CART back then, but our work was more reactionary. Later, when I began teaching for the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College, the emphasis on CART creation was bringing in people from different disciplines, from different jurisdictions, people who each brought something different to the table. But at the time, our team was learning as we were going.

How did you keep up with all the investigative leads?

Leads management was a huge learning curve. Unless you’ve ever been hit with a case like the Hagerman one, it’s hard to describe the amount of intelligence that comes in very quickly. We investigated more than 7,000 leads during my tenure. And a lot of that information was time sensitive. To manage it, we needed to learn how to get the information into a searchable database, how to collate it, how to determine what needed to be dealt with immediately, and how to quickly get the information to the people who could use it. We also had endless rows of three-ring binders with hard copies of investigative reports to organize. That was extremely labor- and resource-intensive, but we didn’t want to be in a situation where we might be reinvestigating the same lead over and over.

How has Amber’s case weighed on you?

Well, justice has yet to be served to the killer. That bothers me. And what was done to Amber is not the kind of thing that you go into a bar and have a few drinks and brag to your buddies about. It’s something you either take to your grave or wind up letting slip to someone very close to you. So I can only hope that someone will one day talk, and that will lead to a reckoning for Amber’s death. Someone needs to be held to account.

And as for the investigation?

I know with certainty that we did everything that we could do to push the case forward, so I have no regrets. I was given every resource I asked for, and even got to handpick the people who investigated the case. They were considered some of the brightest minds around.

Tell us about the investigative task force.

When Amber was first abducted, the city devoted 45 detectives and four sergeants to her case alone. I was one of those four sergeants. Within about 30 days, we pared it back to 15 detectives and one sergeant, with that sergeant being me. I chose people who were very good at their jobs—at interviewing, at interrogations, who had strong attention to detail, who had a deep sense of integrity. We were a standalone task force for about 18 months until our time came to a close, which was hard. The people on that task force, when they left, they left in tears. These were grown men who did not want to quit. But after the task force disbanded and I went back to working homicide, the case followed our team there and we kept it alive.

Did that spur your decision to open a cold case unit?

It was one of the reasons. We wanted to stay focused on Amber’s case as long as we could. For context, we decided a cold case would be one that had gone 120 days without a viable lead. But interestingly, during my time with the Arlington Police Department, Amber’s case never went 120 days without actionable intelligence. So technically it never went cold.

What was the most challenging aspect of working the case?

Keeping an aggressive investigative stance. Time is your enemy during child abduction investigations, since the longer they go, the more likely that people’s memories will fade, and crime scenes yet to be identified will be corrupted or disappear. You’ve got to keep moving very deliberately, with as much speed as possible, and leave no stone unturned. But you also have to be mindful not to investigate so many things at one time that you wind up not doing any of the tasks well. My job was to make sure that the 15 detectives on our task force had the resources they needed to do the job, that they had the freedom to make good decisions, and I could help them keep extraneous baloney at bay. For the most part, that was allowed to happen. The goal was to keep everyone from feeling overwhelmed. That’s when you lose track of your priorities. How did you try to boost morale? One way was in our command post. I kept a timeline of our work that ran all the way around the room and continued yet again. The reason I did so was twofold. One reason was for easy reference. But the other was to have a visual representation of what we were doing as a team. Leads were coming in hand over fist, and I wanted them to see what they were getting done—not only to develop new strategies from what everyone was finding, but also to underscore that while we didn’t have an arrest, we were still making progress. Tell us about your relationship with Amber’s family. Relationships in such cases can be complex, but we all became pretty close. The family knew they could call us 24/7/365, which was important. Most people do better when they approach something from a position of knowledge, so we made sure lines of communication stayed open. We had several formalized briefings with them, but over time we slowed that down simply because there wasn’t much new to share. It was about that time when I could see Donna losing patience with us. She appeared on television and said some not-very-nice things about me. But I realized it wasn’t personal. She was just frustrated because she didn’t know exactly what was happening.

How did the situation resolve?

Our victim assistance coordinator, Derrelynn Perryman, told me that Donna wanted to visit the command post. I said, ‘No. We have sensitive information in there; nothing good could come from that.’ Well, Derrelynn worked on me for about a week until I relented. I said, ‘OK, Donna can come up, but here’s a list of things she can’t do in there. She can’t be left alone, or take any pictures, that kind of thing.’ So Donna comes up to the post, and all the detectives clear out except for me. She sits down and looks around for what seemed like an hour but was probably only 10 minutes. She then gets up and walks out. And I thought, well, that wasn’t so bad. A few days later Derrelynn returns and says, ‘Donna wants to come back to the command post.’ So again, I say no, but again I get talked into it. This time Donna comes in with a paper sack. And in that sack is a framed photo of Amber. It was a Christmas picture, one that wound up being used on many of Amber’s flyers. She wanted us to hang Amber’s picture on the wall, which we did. She also gave us a Native American Kokopelli figurine. She wanted that in there with us too for some reason. Then she took a piece of paper and a Sharpie and wrote ‘Amber’s Room’ on it. She wanted that on the door of the command post. So I had an actual sign made that read “Amber’s Room’—one that could replace ‘Conference Room 3.’ And that was the beginning of the change between the Arlington Police Department and Donna. She just needed to see we were doing something. She wasn’t sure exactly what we were doing, but she could see it was progress. She also felt a personal connection to the space. It dawned on me then that you have to think outside the box in your work with families, especially if you feel like you’re losing touch with them. I’d been too focused on what you might call less holistic things until Derrelynn, and Donna, helped me see that.

What do you remember about the public’s reaction to the case?

When I think about when Amber was abducted, I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but the city and the news media was like an animal that had to be fed. People were just absolutely incensed that this type of crime could happen in our community.

What do you think most resonated with people?

Looking back on it, one difference was the media’s use of video. WFAA Channel 8 had been shooting a documentary about Amber and her family for a story about families living on, and off, welfare, and that footage really struck a chord with people. People felt like they knew Amber. We didn’t just have a photograph of her, but we had moments with Amber—her riding her bicycle, her doing homework, her playing with her little brother, Ricky. That video really brought that little girl to life, and made so many people want to do something to help.

Tell us about your relationship with the media during that time.

Historically, law enforcement has tried to keep the media at arm’s length. But my philosophy was to give the media anything and everything if it didn’t negatively impact our investigation. The more they knew, the better off we could be with our police work, especially since the media helps us connect with the public. If we’d chosen to shut out the media, they would have hunted for information on their own that may not have been accurate.

What do you think about how technology has changed in the past 30 years?

Unfortunately, our work occurred during a very different time. We didn’t have the ability to geolocate cellphones in a certain area or have license plate readers check tags near a specific location. There were no doorbell cameras. Back then there was only one security camera at a convenience store across the street from where Amber was abducted—and the camera wasn’t outside, but inside, pointed down on a register, so they could watch themselves get robbed. The electronic fingerprints people leave behind now are huge. But there’s one skill that need not get lost among the technological advances. Investigators should maintain the ability to simply talk with people. That also yields important results.

What did you know about DNA evidence at the time of Amber’s investigation?

We knew enough about it to hang onto whatever evidence we could to await future advances in the technology, which was in its infancy at the time. There are so many options for DNA testing now, so many potential strategies that we didn’t have back then. As time goes on, that will do nothing but expand.

What advice do you give law enforcement about improving responses to missing child cases?

What’s important is to have a plan. Know what you’re going to do if this type of case happens so that you can move rapidly and deliberately to get the investigation off the ground. Also, get trained. Nobody has any better instructors or better materials or message than the NCJTC and AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program. It’s no good trying to figure things out in a parking lot somewhere while your suspect is fleeing somewhere with your victim. Lastly, stay current on your resources—personnel, equipment, specialized assistance. Because over time, resources will change. You might have people with a particular investigative strength today, but in six months, they may have moved on. Who will replace them? That’s a planning reality that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Detective Krystalynne Robinson looking through evidence binder with picture of Amber Hagerman on easel behind her — Arlington (Texas) Police Detective Krystallyne Robinson keeps a framed portrait of Amber Hagerman in her office. "It's the first thing I look at every day," she says. "That means there's literally not a day that goes by that I'm at work and I don't think about her."

What’s your perspective on the 30th anniversary of Amber’s case?

It’s a huge milestone—one that gives us the opportunity to keep the focus on Amber while encouraging the public to share what they may know about the case.

On the 25th anniversary the Arlington PD discussed the possibility of DNA testing being used for the investigation. What’s the latest on that?

Since the amount of physical evidence that we have is very limited, I’m in the process of vetting labs to make sure they can do what we need them to without consuming the entire sample. Given the advancements in technology—that are just continuing to advance—I’m hopeful about the work the labs can do.

What else should we know about the case?

I want people to know this case isn’t on the backburner for the Arlington Police Department, or for me. It’s important for our department to solve this crime.

What drives you forward to do that?

I keep a framed portrait of Amber in my office. It’s near my desk, and it’s the first thing I look at every day. That means there’s literally not a day that goes by that I’m at work and I don’t think about her.

What’s your investigative approach, given the years that have passed?

It’s important that I continually have a fresh approach to the case, and keep an open mind. I teach a lot at the academy, and tell the recruits, you have to be self-consciously aware of the things that you’re doing and in the way you approach your investigations. That’s true for any case, but especially Amber’s. We have to just keep digging—digging into the leads and the evidence.

How often do you get leads on the case?

We get phone calls, emails, and letters about the case at least weekly. I know I don’t go a month without receiving an email or phone call related to it.

What would you say to Amber’s family?

As Amber’s mother knows, I’ve put a lot of work into this case—going through every report and previous detectives’ narratives. Our goal is always to get justice, and that’s what we’re aiming for. We also never want Amber’s name to be forgotten.

Amber Hagerman holding her baby brother, Ricky, in front of wrapped Christmas packages — *Amber Hagerman with her baby brother, Ricky*

By Denise Gee Peacock

On January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman’s life was stolen by a stranger who dragged her kicking and screaming from her bicycle in broad daylight. Despite an unrelenting search and dedicated efforts by law enforcement, the media, and the public, Amber would never make it home. She was found brutally murdered. Her loss devastated her family and community, leaving a wound that has yet to heal.

In the months following the third-grader’s abduction and killing, Dallas-Fort Worth-area broadcasters worked with local police to establish what they hoped would be an antidote to future crimes: the America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alert—named in Amber’s honor, both to remember her and to protect children in the future. It would harness the power of technology, the media, and community action to spread urgent news when a child’s life was in danger.

It took almost a decade to get every U.S. state to adopt the alert system, but as of Dec. 18, 2025, AMBER Alerts have helped recover more than 1,292 children nationwide—241 of them rescued because of wireless emergency alerts (WEAs).

Though Amber’s life was heartbreakingly short, her legacy has been to save countless lives. Each time an AMBER Alert flashes across a screen or sounds on a phone, her name is carried forward—not just as a reminder of tragedy, but as a symbol of hope, protection, and action.

Janell Rasmussen Administrator, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program / Director, National Criminal Justice Training Center

Amber’s case also underscores fundamental lessons that child protection professionals should consider as they navigate missing child incidents.

Rapid public communication is vital.
Before Amber’s case, police lacked a formal framework for instantly broadcasting information about child abductions to the public.

The AMBER Alert system was created specifically to fill this gap, leveraging radio, TV, and eventually wireless technology to send out critical information like descriptions of the child, suspect, and vehicle.

“Amber’s case was a witnessed abduction—the rarest of all—and there was credible information available about the suspected abductor and his truck,” says Chuck Fleeger, Region 3 Liaison for the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP). “There just wasn’t a mechanism then to get that information out quickly and to the widest possible audience.”

AATTAP’s Region 3 spans 10 states, from Louisiana to Nebraska to Arizona. It also encompasses Fleeger’s home state of Texas, where since 2003 he has served as executive director of the AMBER Alert Network Brazos Valley, a non-profit in central Texas that assists with regional AMBER Alert coordination, provides public education, and partners with local law enforcement and other responders in alerting, response, and investigative readiness.

In 2020 Fleeger retired as Assistant Chief of Police with the College Station Police Department, where he served for more than three decades. He now teaches AMBER Alert investigative best practices courses for the AATTAP.

Time is of the essence.
Experts recognized that the first few hours are the most critical in a child abduction case. The AMBER Alert protocol emphasizes speed, ensuring that law enforcement, broadcasters, and transportation agencies react swiftly to reports.

Balancing that need for speed with a desire for accuracy can be a struggle for AMBER Alert Coordinators. “Law enforcement wrestles with the desire to verify information is complete and accurate, but then it’s not timely; conversely, you can have timely information but some of it’s not completely accurate. That’s OK. It’s better to get the process going even if an activation package isn’t perfect,” Fleeger says. “We all know how crucial time is, so any moments that can be saved could potentially make the difference in a child’s recovery.”

Successfully navigating such a high-stakes process “takes a combination of continuing education, experience, and good communication with others,” says Fleeger’s colleague Joan Collins, Liaison for AATTAP’s Region 1 (encompassing 11 states in the Northeast, from Maine to West Virginia).

Collins’ career has involved 39 years of work for Rhode Island law enforcement. She spent 28 of those years with the Rhode Island State Police, where she helped audit and train users of the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (RILETS); was central to increasing the state’s various emergency alerts; managed the state’s sex offender/“Most Wanted” databases; and worked with the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force.

The creation of the AMBER Alert system has become an important public global safety tool for child abductions, and there is ongoing hope for the resolution of Amber Hagerman’s case. The goal is to safely recover an abducted child. The decisions made by AMBER Alert Coordinators are often stressful, made quickly and under pressure, following established protocols and using their best judgment based on the information at hand.

Joan Collins Region 1 Liaison, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program

“Doing this line of work involves being an active listener—of knowing what questions to ask,” she says. Collins now teaches such AATTAP courses as AMBER Alert: To Activate or Not Activate as well as 911 Telecommunicators and Missing & Abducted Children (aka “911 T-MAC”).

Coordination is key.
The AMBER Alert system functions through the seamless cooperation of multiple groups, including law enforcement, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the media.

Reviews of every alert help to improve the process over time by getting input from these various partners.

Collins recommends that partners include not only those within one’s own law enforcement agency, but also those from surrounding states (“with whom you’re likely to work with more often than not”). “It’s important to connect with your counterparts elsewhere and build relationships with them early so you can act together quickly and successfully,” she says. “It’s always a relief to know others are ready and willing to help out during times of high stress, and they in turn will appreciate your advice and support.”

Protocols must be followed carefully.
For any case—which can potentially become a high-profile one—there is a need for law enforcement to meticulously follow established protocols. This includes the difficult decisions an AMBER Alert Coordinator must make with the limited information available at the time, which may be criticized by the public later.

“With any missing child case, law enforcement should first assume the child is at risk until evidence presents otherwise,” Fleeger says.

He also recommends patrol first responders consider the long-term implications of their efforts, avoiding any pass-the-buck mentality of case stewardship. “Think about the officers dispatched to Amber’s case. They certainly didn’t know when they started their shift that three decades later the case would be unsolved—and how dramatically changed available resources and response models would become.” It’s essential to remember that “the right documentation of information really matters. And if we’re doing good, solid police work from the earliest moments, that work should stand the test of time and hold up well.”

Use targeted, advanced technology.
Modern AMBER Alerts benefit from geotargeting, which focuses alerts on the people most likely to have seen the child. This prevents citizens in a wider area from being desensitized and ignoring alerts.

The public can help.
AMBER Alert’s success is a testament to the power of community vigilance. It allows millions of people to serve as the “eyes and ears” for law enforcement by reporting tips to the authorities. To keep the public from “information burnout” on a case, Fleeger recommends using multiple photos of a missing child at different times. “If someone is scrolling through their feed on social media and see the same photo time and again, they’ll assume they’ve already read that information,” he says. “A new or different photo will make somebody pause and think, ‘I didn’t realize he is still missing.’ The goal is to keep the case a priority in the public’s mind until we can get that person found.”

Don’t assume benign circumstances.
Before the AMBER Alert system, bystanders witnessing a child struggling with an adult may have assumed it was a family dispute or the child misbehaving. Amber’s case highlights the danger of assuming an abduction is a benign event and reinforces the importance of reporting suspicious activity immediately—even if it seems inconsequential.

Collins refers to the barking dog analogy in her teaching. She encourages dispatchers in training to ask questions and gather more information. “For example, is the dog that someone is calling about normally outside barking, or does it rarely bark? This could indicate whether something unusual is occurring. It’s important not to make assumptions, as callers may have relevant information that can be discovered by asking further questions

Stranger abductions are real.
While statistically rare—the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reports that stranger abductions account for 1% of reported abductions—they are a real danger. Amber’s case serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of children, especially when a predator targets them. According to NCMEC, victims are most often girls, and the average age for attempted abductions is 11 and completed abductions is 14.

Justice is a long process.
Despite the creation of a system that has saved countless lives, Amber’s murder remains unsolved decades later. The lesson is that the fight for justice continues, and the public can still assist by reporting any strange observations. “Long-term cases like Amber Hagerman’s are solvable,” Fleeger says. “Technology continues to evolve and so do peoples’ lives. People will decide to talk for whatever reason when circumstances change. Consider the Austin [Texas] yogurt shop murder case that was recently solved. You just never know.”

Group of people filling out big white sheets of paper

Police officer talks to group of seated men

Woman with dark hear talking to seated audience

A year and a half ago, nationally recognized CART expert Stacie Lick became AATTAP’s CART Liaison.

Man speaking to group of seated men and women

James Holmes joins Stacie Lick in providing guidance from the perspectives of former CART Commanders who know the ins and outs of a rapid response team’s creation and sustainability.

Men in front of a digital flow chart of information

Organizational charts help first responders see the big picture of how a CART will be structured during a missing child incident.

By Denise Gee Peacock

“Sometimes the solution to a problem is right in front of you, which may be a good sign you’re on the right track,” says Derek VanLuchene, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Program Manager for child abduction response team (CART) training and certification.

VanLuchene’s task was to help others overcome a significant hurdle: “Certain CARTs were struggling with getting up and running, despite days of training and support. And our goal is, and always has been, to create more active teams across the country.”

With all that law enforcement agencies juggle and with seemingly fewer resources to tap, “maybe the agencies were just feeling overwhelmed,” VanLuchene says. Knowing that the burgeoning CARTs needed more follow-up and mentoring, one way to help struggling teams was to connect them with “the best of the best.” A year and a half ago, nationally recognized CART experts James Holmes and Stacie Lick became AATTAP’s CART Liaisons. Lick and Holmes now offer guidance to CARTs from the perspectives of former CART Commanders who know the ins and outs of a rapid response team’s creation and sustainability. So, problem solved, right?

Not quite. In some cases, fledgling CARTs also needed reminders of the core essentials needed to build a strong team. To resolve that, “maybe we needed to look again at how we were teaching the implementation course,” VanLuchene recalls.

For two decades, the AATTAP—part of the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College—has been providing CART training and certification support funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. The process for managing and updating its training curriculum involves continually reviewing participant evaluation feedback, current research and case law, updated investigative resources, case studies, current trends, relevant adult learning strategies, input from subject matter experts, and more.

As a result, scores of CARTs have received assistance to create (and ultimately, federally certify) an effective, efficient, organized response team prepared for a missing child incident.

A eureka moment hit VanLuchene last fall, when he found himself updating the CART program’s two essential instructional manuals (see related sidebar, page 9) streamlining their content for ease of understanding.

Essential to any CART’s implementation are “12 Core Components” (see related sidebar)—which include agreed-upon deployment criteria, experienced and committed team members, well- crafted callout methods, and the like. But as important as those core concepts are, it dawned on VanLuchene that the instructional module centered on them received only two hours of focus time during three days of CART training. Perhaps that’s why the essential information wasn’t sticking, he wondered. They needed to spend more time on the components. “And frankly, while the old curriculum was good stuff, those components were worthy of their own course—or at least an updated course,” VanLuchene says.

After discussing it with AATTAP Curriculum Manager Cathy Delapaz and Deputy Administrator Byron Fassett, the group agreed. “Derek’s observation was brilliant,” Fassett recalls. As a team they set out to restructure the CART implementation course. The 12 Core Components would be front and center throughout a new two-day intensive course. What’s more, the class wouldn’t just address CART theory and best practices, “it would become a hands-on workshop, one in which the 12 Core Components are used to actually create a working CART in real-time,” VanLuchene says.

A Three-Pronged Approach
The reformatted curriculum—the CART- smart restart, if you will—is achieved via a three-pronged approach to building a CART in real-time as opposed to discussing its eventual creation.

The first prong involves a pre-meeting with agency stakeholders who will review the types of CART members that are needed and resources available. “That’s when we confirm that they’re ready to make the CART happen via the second prong of planning”—the new two-day class, or workshop, on the 12 Core Components—a deep dive into a successful CART’s key ingredients, which can be applied to the agency’s matrix of strategic personnel through a sample organizational flow chart that’s proven its value in CARTs across the country. “This way they can better visualize and understand the CART’s standard operating procedure (SOP),” VanLuchene says.

The third prong is a post-workshop meeting to confirm the CART team members and resources; it also includes mentoring from VanLuchene and one of the AATTAP Liaisons to help tie up any loose ends in CART configuration. “After all the prep work we’ve provided, when they come out the other side, they’ll be ready,” he says.

Louisiana as Pilot Project
Nine months ago, Louisiana State Police (LSP) Captain Jay Donaldson, who oversees Region 3 Criminal Investigations, was tasked by his superiors to form a statewide CART team that could work independently in each of the state’s three regions while also working as a cohesive whole in case of a major disaster involving missing people (one on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, he notes).

To create the regional/state CART, Donaldson knew right where to turn: to Derek VanLuchene, whom he had gotten to know over the years during various AATTAP-NCJTC trainings. Progress was swift, VanLuchene says. “No grass was growing under their feet; they wanted to get right on it.” The meetings took place over a four-month period, “which was fantastic considering some CARTs can take a year or more to form.”

After hearing about the updated CART curriculum, Donaldson was eager to get started. The first meeting was on February 19, with the more intensive hands-on sessions occurring on May 28 and 29. “I’m more of a workshop person myself,” Donaldson recalls of the two-day workshops. “I was just hoping everyone else on our teams would be too. Thankfully they were.”

With Louisiana serving as the new pilot project for the CART course that would soon play out around the country, Donaldson watched closely.

“What Derek did for us was exceptional,” Donaldson says. “Whenever we were doing tabletops, he broke us up by region. He said, ‘let’s put people together who are going to actually work together. That way we’ll see what happens, what ideas form.’ And then, once he did that, everything just started working, everything just started clicking.”

Finding the right people to be involved in planning and execution of the CART details is crucial. In any agency, people will do things because they’re told to. Then they’ll want to do so because their heart is in the mission. The commitment Donaldson witnessed in the room during the two-day planning session “had me realizing we had all the people whose hearts would be in the right place,” he says.

Donaldson had faith that the new way of learning-by-doing was working not only for his team, but also for others.

VanLuchene was equally pleased: “If they get a call tomorrow about a missing child, they could activate their CART team in whatever region it was needed. Their organizational chart is in place, their SOP is in place. They’re ready for deployment.”

Smart Solutions Ahead
A key obstacle to creating a CART is falling prey to misconceptions surrounding them. Some administrators may look at a CART as another task force that needs to be managed—without the budget or staffing to do so. They need as many resources as possible for their regular caseload of crimes.

“But in helping teams formulate a CART, we’re not asking people to suddenly put aside their normal duties. We’re asking people to think differently about how they work together on a missing child case,” VanLuchene says.

“Why not take the 12 Core Components of a CART and apply them to your response so you get the most effective, organized, efficient outcome?” he asks. “It’s just that simple.”

In other cases, where there are preexisting major incident response teams to tackle emergencies, those groups of responders can learn the 12 components of a successful CART and walk away with an SOP. “You become an active CART team based on your ability to respond to cases involving missing kids,” VanLuchene says.

Finding the resources can also seem overwhelming until stakeholders are invited to become a part of the process, says LSP Captain Donaldson. He cites one partnership in particular. “We invited the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to be involved in the training for the first time,” he says. “They were keen to observe and see if being in a CART was a space they wanted to share with us.”

That decision would be a natural. “Louisiana has so many bodies of water, and these guys know the camps or lakes or rivers or streams—which is where a child with autism, for instance, may be drawn to after a wandering incident,” Donaldson says. “And thankfully, they’re all in. They have the tools and resources, and these guys love what they do. Now they’re waiting for a mission. They’re all about saving children, if they can.”

The methodology for the new CART implementation course will also be used for AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) trainings. AIIC Program Manager Tyesha Wood and her team are currently observing the new curriculum in action and will be applying it to a forthcoming Tribal Response to Abducted Children (TRAC) initiative, which will help Tribal law enforcement bridge any gaps in child recovery knowledge and planning.

Meanwhile, CART Liaisons Lick and Holmes are working daily to ensure all current CARTs and ones in the making are taken care of. Both have managed CART teams so they relate to others’ challenges. “They say, ‘Here’s what we recommend based on our experience,’ ” VanLuchene says. “The Liaisons are helping bring the total CART training package together.”

12 Core Components of a CART

Response Criteria: This is a memorandum of understanding about the CART’s criteria and area of service and should have complete buy-in by all of the stakeholders involved
Team Composition: The predetermined callout team should include an experienced and committed group of subject matter experts in areas including search and rescue, interview and interrogation, expert witness testimony, command post operations, major case investigations (including cold cases), and more.
Notification and Deployment Protocols: For the CART to respond in a quick, preestablished timeframe, it must have a well-constructed and agreed-upon method to activate the callout and an updated list of contacts.
Communications: Each team should have a plan for how it will communicate with the CART commander, command post, and others during an activation. This includes having a well-staffed call center for public tips and dedicated personnel monitoring social media accounts. A leads tracking and management system is crucial for disseminating leads for follow-up.
Command and Control: This involves the structuring and outfitting of a command center, incident command system (command structure), and operational team leaders (search leads, volunteer management, and others).
Search, Canvass and Rescue Operations: Establish a plan for searching, canvassing, and rescuing that includes response time and deployment logistics, as well as tactics for the successful use of volunteers with predetermined tasks.
Training: Individual and CART agency training provides an opportunity for the team to test activation and callout procedures, revise rosters and contact information, update team members’ training and specialized skill records, inspect equipment inventory, adjust assignments, and review protocols.
Legal Support: The goal in an endangered missing or abducted child case is to rescue the child, develop a solid prosecutorial case against the offender, and do both without violating the constitutional rights of members of the community. Issues such as search and seizure and the role of the prosecutor in the CART command post should be incorporated into the CART protocols. Every CART should include a prosecutor and/or legal adviser who should be involved in all trainings.
Equipment/Resources Inventory. The inventory list goes well beyond tangible deployment needs, but includes detailed instructions on how every possible resource (including experts not part of the CART core team) can be accessed regardless of time or day. Every resource should have backup contact information (telephone and email), as well as procedures for making an after-hours callout.
CART Protocols: Established protocols, along with operating procedures and manuals, will help ensure consistency in a CART’s functionality. These documents must be shared among and accepted by all participating agencies, and any changes to policies and procedures must be documented in a consistent, singular location.
Victim Assistance and Reunification: When a child is recovered, it is critical for a variety of services to be made available as soon as possible—not only to address and physical/medical needs, but also the psychological distress resulting from the incident.
Community: Utilizing members of the team to provide training and awareness to the public may generate volunteering when an incident occurs.

— From A Guide to CART Program Components and Implementation.

>> Find AATTAP’s two recently updated implementation- and certification- focused guides at AMBERAdvocate.org/CART/resources.

>> Find all the information you need to stay up to date on CART training objectives at AMBERAdvocate.org/CART/training

Woman wearing police vest — Corporal Josée Melanson of Canada’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains. All 10 Canadian provinces have an AMBER Alert program in place. The three Canadian territories have not yet implemented AMBER Alert systems in their jurisdictions. (Photo credit: Royal Canadian Mounted Police).

By Jody Garlock

Early in her career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Josée Melanson realized that having a strong sense of urgency is essential in missing child cases. It’s an urgency she now thrives on. About six months into her job as a patrol officer in the northeast province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Melanson responded to a call from a frantic mother who had reported her young son missing.

As Melanson and ther officers ran in search of the child, she saw a dumpster in her periphery. Drawing on her training, she stopped. The boy was next to the trash receptacle, hiding and scared from hearing his name being yelled by unfamiliar voices.

“That was one of my success stories I’ll never forget,” Melanson says. That feeling of franticness related to having a lost child “is very different from the other types of calls we received,” she says.

After 13 years as a patrol officer (also known as a General Duty member on patrol) and five years at the RCMP Training Academy, Melanson shifted to a position with RCMP’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR), headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. For the past two years, she has coordinated NCMPUR’s National AMBER Alert Working Group, comprised of AMBER Alert Coordinators from provincial law enforcement agencies across Canada.

Melanson’s work is a critical component of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program’s (AATTAP) Northern Border Initiative, which formalizes the long-standing cooperation between the two nations. We spoke with Corporal Melanson about her transition from patrol officer to national coordinator, the structure of Canada’s AMBER Alert system, and why international partnership is non-negotiable when a child’s life is on the line.

After being on patrol for more than a decade, how has it been settling into your role at NCMPUR?
One of the positive experiences with the RCMP is that you can work in different units, and this one is very different from what I did as a patrol member. I don’t have a police car here. I don’t wear my full uniform every day. It was definitely an inviting change—I could focus on the unit here. I’ve learned a lot and am still learning. I find as a police officer, it’s important to challenge yourself and learn every day. That’s what keeps my drive going.

Do you have the chance to work with AMBER Alert associates in the United States?
In my current position as the chair of the National Amber Alert Working Group (NAAWG), my role is focused on gathering training opportunities and best practices from our U.S. associates. Once we communicate about that, I share the information with AMBER Alert Coordinators here in Canada.

What type of work does NAAWG do?
First, we’re not involved in investigations. One of our mandates is to facilitate an information exchange—and providing training opportunities for members here and support for AMBER Alert conferences. We meet virtually at least twice a year. We had one of our recent NAAWG meetings where we discussed courses that are available through the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) to AMBER Alert Coordinators in Canada.

What about your AMBER Alert program—how is it structured?
In Canada, each province develops its AMBER Alert program independently, and the provincial committees have developed criteria to respond to the needs of their jurisdictions. Each province appoints an AMBER Alert Coordinator to oversee the program and each province has its set criteria. We will be made aware that an AMBER Alert has been issued, but it is the provinces—the coordinators— that take full responsibility of it. Here at the National Center, we’ll maintain and collect statistics on issued AMBER Alerts.

Tell us a bit about those statistics.
In 2024, there were eight total activations of AMBER Alerts in Canada. All of the 10 children involved were located safe and sound. In the first six months of 2025, two AMBER Alerts have been issued, with a total of four children involved. And again, all four children were found safe.

That’s impressive. How does 100 percent success make you feel?
Amazing. It’s a great day at work, right?— for all police officers throughout Canada. You feel the urgency when you know all the criteria are met and the AMBER Alert is issued. And then once the children are located, it’s a very powerful feeling.

What are your thoughts on cross-border collaboration via the AATTAP’s Northern Border Initiative?
I feel it’s crucial to have that, especially for the effectiveness of AMBER Alerts here in Canada. Since I’ve been in the unit for the past two years, Canada and the United States have established partnerships, making it easier to work together, share information, and coordinate efforts when it is believed that a child has been abducted across our borders. All the information and the training that we can see from [AATTAP and FVTC’s NCJTC]—and me sharing that with the AMBER Alert Coordinators in Canada and with the NCMPUR team as well—is very beneficial.

Woman with brown hair — *Yesenia "Jesi" Leon-Baron*

Child protection officials in the U.S. and Canada have had a longstanding working relationship. The Northern Border Initiative of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) formalizes that as it focuses on strengthening preparedness for effective response to child abduction cases.

The collaboration, which is between northern states and Canada’s southern provinces, parallels AATTAP’s Southern Border Initiative with Mexico.

Yesenia “Jesi” Leon-Baron, Project Coordinator for International and Territorial Programs at AATTAP, says that partnering with Canada’s National AMBER Alert Working Group has helped pinpoint areas to address, such as additional training on alert activations that involve cross-border abductions. “Together, we’re building an understanding of Canada’s AMBER Alert coordination while developing training and technical assistance,” she says.

A virtual tri-national meeting with respective AMBER Alert Coordinators from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. is being planned, likely for 2026.

The one-day training would cover topics such as initial investigative responses and how the AMBER Alert system works in each country.

“Child abduction knows no borders,” Leon-Baron says. “Evil doesn’t discriminate, and it’s not going to worry about borders either. So we need to make sure we are supporting each country’s investigations when it comes to abducted children. We can be a force multiplier.”

Photo illustration of a blue blanket with a pink heart pillow — In 2023, 59% of AMBER Alerts were for family abduction cases, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The abductions tend to occur at transition points, such as when court-ordered exchanges of the child are scheduled to take place. Staff photo illustration.

By Jody Garlock

Engaging the public has always been at the heart of AMBER Alerts. The program, after all, was built on the premise of instantly galvanizing citizens and motorists to serve as an extra set of eyes to help law enforcement safely locate an endangered missing or abducted child. The power of that concept played out literally and figuratively in a case that gripped the quiet county-seat town of Fallon, Nevada.

On March 31, 2025, the Nevada Department of Public Safety issued an AMBER Alert that was disseminated to broadcast media and cellular devices around Washoe County. Ten-month-old Lyric Smitten had been taken by his noncustodial mother, Chelsea Daniels, earlier that day. According to information released by the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were advised that Daniels had been distraught after a court removed the boy from her care and custody. She was reported to have a handgun and had threatened to harm herself and her son.

The case solidly met the criteria for activating an AMBER Alert. These criteria included the belief that the child was in imminent danger and there was enough descriptive information for the public to aid in the recovery.

Unlike most AMBER Alerts, this case had an additional layer of urgency: The child was scheduled to undergo heart surgery the following day.

As news of the missing boy quickly spread around Fallon and the other high desert communities of western Nevada, tips to 911 came in. Because the vehicle Daniels was driving was relatively common—a black SUV (specifically a Ford Explorer) with a Nevada license plate— several tips matched a general description.

Although the AMBER Alert provided the license plate number, motorists aren’t always able to capture the exacting details. Officers knew the dire situation required taking all tips seriously, even those where the information matched just a general description of the SUV. One such tip led to a Fallon elementary school being placed on lockdown until authorities confirmed that the vehicle reported on the grounds wasn’t Daniels’.

One particular tip, however, stood out. A caller reported seeing a vehicle matching the description and that was being driven by a woman in an area that aligned with earlier cell phone pings from the mother’s phone. Patrol and investigative units were already in the area and took swift action. They spotted the SUV traveling on a mountain road.

Collage of four images showing the AMBER Alert cell phone message, a Walmart, an elementary school, and a news report — **HOW IT UNFOLDED** (from left, top to bottom): The AMBER Alert pinged cell phones shortly after 2 p.m. for the Nevada infant taken by his noncustodial mother and believed to be in imminent danger. The last reported siting of the child was at a Walmart. An elementary school was placed on lockdown after a tip matched a general description of the mother’s vehicle there. About an hour after the alert was issued, authorities acting on another tip spotted the vehicle and safely recovered the boy. Local media reported the news, to the relief of residents.

After initially failing to stop, Daniels pulled over the vehicle, heeding the emergency lights and sirens from a sheriff’s deputy’s patrol vehicle. The infant was found safe; emergency medical responders also assessed the child’s health.

Authorities did not release information on the boy’s heart condition or surgery.

The Fallon Police Department took Daniels into custody on various charges, including kidnapping. Fallon authorities noted after the incident that concern about the child’s medical condition played a factor in the case rising to the level of an AMBER Alert.

Similar to how the public responded with tips, local authorities were quick to praise the public for its vigilance that contributed to the safe resolution. Churchill County Sheriff Richard Hickox also credited the multiple agencies and emergency medical responders who were involved. “We are grateful for the citizens who called in with sightings and information,” Hickox posted on Facebook. “The successful resolution of this situation is a prime example of a collaborative effort by many agencies striving toward one goal—and that is the safety of the public.”

Residents greeted news of the child’s safe recovery with similar gratitude. “Thank you to the people who spoke up and reported!” one person wrote on the Churchill County Sheriff’s social media page.

Carri Gordon, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Liaison for Region 5 (which includes Nevada), considers the case an example of the AMBER Alert system working as it was intended: by engaging the public to prompt a swift recovery. “I’ve activated alerts in the past where the tip came in within six minutes of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) hitting cell phones, and it was from someone directly behind the suspect’s vehicle,” she recalls. “Law enforcement contacted and safely recovered that child in less than 15 minutes of the AMBER Alert going out. It’s literally lifesaving.”

During her 13 years as the state of Washington’s AMBER Alert Coordinator (AAC), Gordon handled more than 100 AMBER Alerts. Although alert activations for noncustodial parent abductions, such as in this case, have always been higher than stranger abductions, she reminds AACs that this doesn’t mean the child is free of danger. “Parents will—and do— harm their own children,” she says, dispelling a common misconception.

Gordon also knows from experience the pressure AACs feel every time an AMBER Alert is issued, even though they aren’t directly investigating the case. “As AACs we monitor our alerts as they go out and monitor the involvement on social media, such as the shares and likes,” she says. “When you see a case with a lot of public involvement—and tips that eventually lead to the location of the child—it makes you aware of how critical and valuable a tool like the AMBER Alert system is.”

Tim Williams, center, manager of the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse (NYSMP) checks progress with David Fallon, retired FBI investigator and NCJTC-AATTAP Associate.

Three females at investigation desk in conference room

: Intelligence Analyst Joy Johnston of the New York State Police answers questions during a rescue operation to locate children reported missing as runaways.

Two men looking at a computer monitor screen in a crowded room.

Samuel Lizzio and Mark Baney, New York State Police senior investigators, work a case. In 2024, New York closed 12,310 cases involving children reported missing as runaways, according to the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

A man at a long conference table ringing a bell in a crowded room

Alan Lapage, NYSMPC investigative supervisor, rings a bell to signal a missing child was safely located.

By Jody Garlock

It’s an early morning in March, and about 100 law enforcement officials, social services professionals, legal experts, and others are gathered in a hotel ballroom in Latham, New York. Wearing lanyards with name tags and sitting at tables with laptops and papers in front of them, they seem poised for a routine conference. But there’s a seriousness in the air and laser focus as they work on their computers or huddle into small groups.

Eventually, the ringing of a bell sounds across the room. Heads turn toward a man holding a brass school bellas the realization sets in: A missing child has been located.

By the end of the three-day Capital Region Missing Child Rescue Operation, that bell will have been rung an impressive 63 times. Simultaneously, a computer screen projected onto a wall showed the number in big, bold lettering. Both served as uplifting motivators for the agencies and experts who united for a goal of finding missing children at risk of endangerment, exploitation, or harm. “After the first or second bell ring, everyone gets it—it’s powerful,” says Tim Williams, manager of the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse (NYSMPC), one of organizers. “You could feel the energy in the room continue to increase.”

More than 60 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private partners came together to explore new leads, review case notes, and leverage technology to find at-risk youth reported missing as runaways.

The 63 children and teens located during the first-ever rescue operation for the Albany, Schenectady, and Troy areas ranged in age from 2 to 17 years old when they were reported

missing, and from 6 to 22 when found, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). And the overall number of those safely located continued to climb, as work that was started wrapped up after the event. Williams says 71 missing children have now been located as a direct result of the rescue operation.

“These are emotional events,” says Kevin Branzetti (shown below right under quote), CEO of the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF), which partnered with NYSMPC on the operation and has similar recovery missions scheduled in other states.

“We know these cases can be emotional roller coasters. You see a lot of tears.”

To drive home the importance of such ventures, Branzetti and Williams point to statistics. At the end of 2024, New York had slightly more than 1,000 active missing children cases. The majority of the 12,000-plus cases annually—95 percent— are reported as runaways.

“Every missing child is an endangered missing child,” Williams says. “Our focus was the runaway population because it’s often overlooked.”

Strategic Teamwork

The Capital Region event grew out of training sessions between NYSMPC and the Arkansas-based NCPTF. “We started to think ‘Could we put all these people in the same room with the sole mission of finding kids and closing cases?’ “ Williams says.

In October 2024, NYSMPC and NCPTF spearheaded their first joint rescue operation. That venture in the Buffalo area safely located 47 children reported missing as runways. Branzetti and Clearinghouse staffers, including Williams and Cindy Neff, who recently retired as NYSMPC manager, applied lessons they learned from the Buffalo operation. Comparatively, the Capital Region operation was more complex, involving coordination among three police departments, three district attorney’s offices, and three county social services agencies, along with many other entities.

“One of the most critical components is securing full buy-in from local partners, law enforcement, social services, district attorneys, and child advocacy centers,” Neff says. “Their collaboration is essential because these operations go beyond just locating missing youth. It’s also about understanding the underlying reasons they went missing and identifying the support needed to help prevent it from happening again.” (For more on Neff see the sidebar that follows this feature.)

The Capital Region operation required months of planning and meetings to review cases with agencies and coordinate logistics. Participants were ultimately organized into four teams— two for Albany and one each for Schenectady and Troy. A pre-operation meeting was held for all the teams prior to the operation.

Each team had a similar composition: a Clearinghouse representative who acted as the organizer, a crime analyst who had access to local police records, at least one detective from the agency working the case, representatives from NCTPF and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), a probation official, someone from social services, and various other law enforcement officials. The goal was to ensure that each team had a variety of resources and skill sets, be it public records searching, tracking a cell phone, understanding social media work, or open-source intelligence. “No two police departments have the same sets of tools,” Branzetti says. “Everyone brings their tools to the game, and we get to share them.”

Adding a social services component—and having those professionals in the room prepared to go out when a child was recovered—was one of the lessons learned from the prior operation. Branzetti, Williams, and Neff note that the goal wasn’t just to find the child, but also to try to ensure the child doesn’t go missing again. “What we promote deeply is ‘Find. Listen. Help,’ “ Branzetti says. “It takes more than police to do that. It’s a society problem.”

The state’s Office of Children and Family Services coordinated with nonprofit organizations and victim assistance programs to assist the investigations and provide services and support for recovered children. “There was a whole support-service side of this ready to go and available—and put into action many times,” Williams says. If a child already had an assigned case worker, that person was notified.

A unique component was providing gift cards to ensure a child or teen had essentials, such as food, clothing, or haircare services. In some cases, the gift cards became an outreach opportunity for the social services worker to schedule a follow-up to take a teen shopping. “We wanted her to see that something is different today,” says Branzetti, whose organization secured donations to provide the gift cards. “We wanted her to understand that this isn’t the same old story. It’s about changing the trajectory.”

Additionally, the rescue operation also helps destigmatize the word “runaway.” “It’s a matter of changing the mindset of what that means,” Williams says.

“Everyone in the room is getting a better sense of the word as they work on the cases and realize that we can’t treat a runaway as ‘I’ll get to it when I get to it’ and instead say ‘Let’s make sure we’re doing something.’ “

‘Remarkable’ Collaboration

Heading into the rescue operation, the organizers didn’t have a set goal for the number of children they wanted to find. “If we can find even one missing child, that’s a positive,” Williams says. Because team members had started pre-work, some of the cases were able to be swiftly closed. A side benefit, Branzetti says, is that the rescue operation helps broaden or hone skills, and participants leave with added knowledge they can apply to their own cases. “These rescue operations turn into partial training events,” he says. “You actually may be writing a first search warrant or doing a first cell tower dump, or someone is walking you through how to track an IP address. You can’t beat that.”

The organizers also note that it’s heartening to see the camaraderie develop on the mixed teams, where members typically start out the rescue operation as strangers.

Williams says the operation proved to him how beneficial it is to bring together diverse groups. “We all tend to fall into the silo that we’re comfortable in, but we hear so many times, ‘Oh I wish I had reached out to you sooner,’ ” he says. “Sitting down at the same table, talking through cases, and sharing resources that are available is so important. Don’t be afraid to have those difficult conversations or continue to talk weekly or monthly to stay on top of things.”

For Neff, the rescue operation was a gratifying culmination to her long career. “When professionals from different agencies are brought together in the same room with a shared mission,” she says, “remarkable things can happen.”

Photo of woman (Cindy Neff) — *'Force of Nature': Cindy Neff recently retired after two decades of remarkable work.*

For Cindy Neff, the Capital Region Missing Child Rescue Operation was a fitting end to a long career of helping children. In April, Neff retired from the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse, where she worked for 20 years—the past 11 years as manager. “She’s a force of nature,” says Kevin Branzetti, CEO of the National Child Protection Task Force who worked with Neff on the New York rescue operations and various other initiatives.

Over the years, Neff has been a familiar face at national AMBER Alert symposiums, serving as an Associate for NCJTC-AATTAP. She also led the charge for establishing the New York State Cold Case Review Panel and developing the Find Them web application to support law enforcement working missing persons cases.

The issue of children with multiple missing episodes has always been close to her heart. In New York, about half of the missing children classified as runaways involve repeat episodes. Neff likens it to her personal experience of her mother being shuffled from one nursing home to another until she landed in a place where she was treated with compassion and dignity. Like with her mother, she feels runaway children are placed wherever there is an open bed, not necessarily where they will receive the care and services they need.

To address the issue, she helped form a statewide partnership that promotes a systems-based approach to supporting vulnerable children. This led to launching RIPSTOP (Runaway Intervention Program: Services, Training, Opportunity, Prevention), which identifies root causes and connects youth to targeted services. The hope is that RIPSTOP becomes a model for the state.

“I believe it represents the future of how we must address missing child cases: with empathy, data-driven solutions, and collaboration across systems,” Neff says. “We must reject the mindset of ‘They’re just a runaway—they’ll come back.’ Every missing child is at risk until proven otherwise, and every case deserves our full attention.”

In her immediate retirement, Neff is recharging and enjoying time with her grandchildren. She also plans to thoughtfully consider how she may stay involved in the field in the future. She encourages fellow Clearinghouse managers and AMBER Alert Coordinators to carry on the mission on behalf of missing children by setting clear goals, regularly assessing priorities, and building strong partnerships at every level. “This work cannot be done in isolation,” she says.

By Denise Gee Peacock

Our children are the heart of our communities—the keeper of our legacies. But sometimes the unthinkable happens. A child goes missing. And in those desperate moments, every second counts. So do AMBER Alerts.

Thus begins a new eight-minute AMBER Alert in Indian Country-focused video filmed in Santa Fe. It is the longest of three videos that focus on AMBER Alert being a lifeline—a rapid response system that mobilizes entire communities to help find missing and abducted quickly and safely.

In Indian Country, implementing AMBER Alert comes with unique challenges: jurisdictional rights, infrastructure and resources limitations, crime reporting complexities, and the need for cultural understanding and multiagency collaboration.

The AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) initiative—part of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) of the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College—is a bridge meant to overcome such issues.

“We all have a role to play in protecting our children,” says NCJTC Director and AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen. “By working together, we can ensure that every community in Indian Country has the resources and support they need to implement AMBER Alert effectively.”

Feathers and smudging tool for blessing the event

A Pueblo of Pojoaque smudging ceremony took place to bless the occasion and its participants.

A member of the Bravebird film crew looks out at bison en route to Santa Fe.

Female photographer monitoring drone images

Pamela Foster holds a medallion necklace showing her and her daughter Ashlynne.

Sunrise over Santa Fe.

Pueblo of Pojoaque Police vehicle on the go during the filming

A member of the Pueblo of Pojoaque Police Department answers a call for help.

Pueblo of Pojoaque Police Department sign

Filming took place on the Pueblo of Pojoaque.

Four members of Tribal law enforcement greet each other in Santa Fe

Members of Tribal police departments from across the nation greeted each other on the first day of filming.

Pueblo of Pojoaque Nathan Baron shows satellite map during meeting

Detail of Chitimacha Tribal Police patch on uniform

Deputy Chief Taylor Patterson of the Miccosukee Tribal Police in Florida answers questions during filming of the new videos.

Photographer operating a drone for aerial views of setting

Director of Photography Ashley Siana operates a drone over the Santa Fe landscape.

Photographer getting shots of bison and terrain for video setting

Film crew looking at monitor of video work while checking sound

Film crew at work talking with Jada Breaux of Chitimacha Tribe

Chitimacha Tribal Police Captain Jada Breaux sits for questions during filming.

Video participants, members of the film crew and AMBER Alert in Indian Country team members enjoy some down time.

Group of participants who helped with new video series

Following completion of the video filming, all those involved gathered for a group photo.

The goal of the new video (one of three in total) and AIIC training, is to:

Cultivate awareness and build knowledge of available resources and support systems for Indian Country.
Encourage American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to implement effective response plans.
Help Tribes understand the basics of the AMBER Alert system and evaluate their community’s preparedness.
Promote the relationship-building between AI/AN, state agencies, and law enforcement.
Emphasize the need for cultural awareness in handling missing/ abducted children cases.
Build agency among AI/AN communities to take proactive measures to safeguard their children—and their children’s children.

The AATTAP-AIIC team worked with two Indigenous filmmakers who form the heart of Bravebird, a company that regularly collaborates with the nationally respected marketing firm 6 AM. (See the sidebar “Telling Stories,” below.) Both firms are based in Wisconsin, and both “were perfect to work with based on their understanding of the sensitivity of this story,” says Tyesha M. Wood, Program Manager for AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative.

“We wanted to bring together voices of child protection officials from Tribes across the nation—law enforcement leaders and others who could feel comfortable in expressing what their concerns are and how the AMBER Alert in Indian Country program has helped them. And how it can help others too,” Wood says.

The video was filmed on the Pueblo of Pojoaque reservation, known to have existed since 500 AD. The New Mexico Tribe played host to the video’s participants, who came from northern California, south Louisiana, northern Florida, and all points in between.

AIIC’s main champion in the video series is Pamela Foster, who figured prominently in the first video produced for the initiative after passage of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018. Foster is the mother of Ashlynne, who on May 2, 2016, was abducted—along with her brother Ian—and murdered in a remote area on the Navajo Nation. Ian managed to escape and run several miles to seek help. But while Ashlynne’s parents made frantic efforts to locate her, misunderstandings and jurisdictional hurdles on the reservation prevented an AMBER Alert from being issued until the next day, robbing authorities of critical hours in their search efforts.

“On that day, a part of me died, and life has never been the same,” Foster says. But it also propelled her to lobby forlegislative change that would prevent another Tribal family from experiencing what hers did.

“I made a promise to Ashlynne that I would do my part to fix the loophole that exists in the system,” Foster says. “I would fight with every fiber of my being to bring AMBER Alert to Indian Country.”

The video underscores the urgency of implementing AMBER Alerts through the lens of law enforcement professionals and others working on the front lines of protecting Tribal children.

“For far too long, an epidemic has been playing out in Indian Country as it relates to missing and murdered Indigenous children, adults, wives, relatives, brothers, and fathers. And it is a monster,” says Major Nathan Barton of the Pueblo of Pojoaque Police Department.

In the video, Foster makes a direct appeal to Tribal leaders. “If you haven’t already received the AIIC training, please reach out. Thanks to Ashlynne’s law, we can work with you to establish an AMBER Alert plan,” she says. “What’s more, the training is free and accessible, and it’s adaptive to your needs. We just need more Tribal participation for this to be effective.”

After the process, Foster had this to reflect on: “Sitting with the Tribal leaders and law enforcement officials who participated in the shoot was heartening. I was happy to hear them talk about how vital it is to protect our children on and off the reservation, and they each came with a powerful message to share,” she says. “It was good to see that we are building a connection with one another, and others—and that we are committed to being supported and heard.”

ACTION ITEMS:

Learn more about how AMBER Alert can protect Tribal Visit AMBERAdvocate. org/AIIC or email [email protected] for more information.
Follow AMBER Alert in Indian Country courses online, including the comprehensive MCI-IC series.
Contact your local Tribal leaders to discuss the importance of having a response plan in place.

Photograph of five people involved in the film's production — *The Bravebird crew in Santa Fe: Director Alex Miranda (far left), Director of Photography Ashley Siana, Director of Photography James Kwan, Sound Engineer Michael Twombly, and Producer Tim Peters.*

The new video’s director, Alex Miranda, and producer, Tim Peters, are the principals of Bravebird, an Indigenous-led filmmaking group based in Wisconsin that specializes in telling the stories of Indian Country.

“For us, and our families and communities, it’s important to share our stories with care, authenticity, and dignity," Miranda says.

One aspect of their work that shines through: “The land. Mother Earth,” he says. “She helps us realize that stories such as Ashlynne’s will never be forgotten.”

Bravebird was enlisted by the 6 AM Marketing team, also based in Wisconsin, for the care the group takes with delicate subject matter.

“Aaron [Hughes] and Laura [Fernandez] at 6 AM made this very easy,” Miranda says. “Everything was well thought through. We’re so complementary in our skills with each other. That just creates a very holistic experience.”

The goal was to create an emotional hook, front and center, explains 6 AM Creative Director Hughes. “That really starts with Pamela Foster [Ashlynne’s mother]. That’s what puts everybody in their seats paying attention at the start of this because of her experience,” he says. “Everything about her makes you pay attention.”

Foster was appreciative of the care that Bravebird and 6 AM crews devoted to helping her talk through the worst thing in life she has ever experienced: Ashlynne’s abduction and murder.

Says 6 AM Account Manager Laura Fernandez, “We had to make sure from the beginning that we had a deep understanding of Pamela's story, the [AATTAP-AIIC] program and the issues surrounding it, and the importance of those we would be speaking to—to try not to create the narrative,” she says. “It was a weight of emotional importance unlike anything I've ever done.”

Hughes adds: “We all felt like we were assembling something that could profoundly alter the course of someone’s life,” Hughes says. “If one child’s life can be spared because an AMBER Alert is in place, think of the ripple effect that will have. What a tremendous gift to participate in something like that.”

By Denise Gee Peacock

Lieutenant Chris O’Keefe of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Department (TPD) has a handful of cameo appearances in the reality-crime TV series “The First 48.” But off screen, the real-life search for bad actors and innocent victims has been his calling for several decades.

Much of O’Keefe’s 24-year TPD career has focused on the rapid identification and apprehension of homicide suspects and other violent criminals, most recently in the TPD’s Fugitive Warrants Unit. In April 2023 he began supervising the TPD’s Sex and Violent Offender Registration Unit, where he also serves as AMBER Alert Coordinator (AAC). As AAC, O’Keefe weighs missing child-related factors as they are known before deciding whether to contact Jason Matheson of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to initiate an AMBER Alert in partnership with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

We met the De Pere, Wisconsin, native at this year’s AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, D.C. We reconnected with him in Tulsa to discuss his work.

What led you into law enforcement?
I knew I wanted to get into public service, something to help people on a daily basis. Maybe I just read too many superhero comic books as a kid. But after getting a B.A. in sociology from St. Norbert College in De Pere, I did some law enforcement training at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) in Appleton before joining the U.S. Army. Then, when my wife was offered a job in Tulsa, I tapped into my FVTC training and Army experience to sign up for the TPD academy. I joined the organization in 2001.

How does being an AAC mesh with the other work you do for the TPD?
It’s a natural fit. An AMBER Alert is essentially a manhunt, and I’ve developed an expertise in finding people. Now I oversee the process after countless directives to “Go, go, go—find them!” I also manage the sex offender registration process, and those are the individuals we look at right away whenever there’s a missing child case.

How many AMBER Alerts do you issue on average?
In the last two years, we’ve issued about six AMBER Alerts. But I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times we’ve discussed if a missing child case should warrant an AMBER Alert, or an Endangered Missing Alert, or be addressed some other way.

What are your biggest challenges?
One involves a perception that if we don’t issue an alert, we’re ignoring the situation. But truth is, we bring plenty of resources to bear to find a child. This was a topic of conversation at the recent AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium. There’s a lot we can do if a case doesn’t meet our criteria—issue social media posts, work with license plate readers, ping a cell phone. The case can get resolved even quicker if we have solid information to work with right away.

What guides your ultimate decision?
I go by informed instinct, combining that with what I hear from people on the front lines—particularly the responding officers or in some cases our dispatchers, digging into what their first impression of the situation is, and whether they believe the child to be in danger. That’s why first-responder training is essential.

Do you enlist a child abduction response team (CART)?
We have a call tree of people on our incident management team (IMT) who are paged during an AMBER Alert or Endangered Missing situation, and the IMT includes a crisis unit that focuses on child molestation cases. They’re truly an organizational force. We have an AMBER Alert Center within our headquarters and the IMT will use it as its command post, manning the phones, sorting through tips, procuring resources. All the tips flow through me and I decide the priority of them. We then keep track of who we’ve sent where to check out the tip, and I organize all that. We also try to keep the family as close as possible and have a victim advocate on hand.

What types of missing child cases are the most complex?
Stranger abductions—the real nightmare ones, with no information on vehicles or suspects—are thankfully very rare. Parental abductions are the most common—and complicated. Generally, a parent can’t abduct their child if they have the legal right to be with that child, whether all the time or just some of the time. It’s only when the parent says they’re going to go harm themselves and/or the child that we immediately know it warrants an AMBER Alert.

What helps you navigate such complexities?
If there’s even a chance that a parent could hurt the child, we’ll err on the side of caution and issue an AMBER Alert. The challenge lies within the legalities. We worry about unleashing the full force of law enforcement on a parent who hasn’t committed any crime. That can result in liability issues. And that’s where our training and experience have to come into play—and asking the right questions.

Being an AAC is stressful work. What motivates or inspires you?
The times we’ve had AMBER Alerts I’m never short of help. It’s not just from the people on call; we see that every patrol officer is going to stop what they’re doing to help find the child. I also get calls from the regional sheriff’s department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, FBI, and the U.S. Marshals. It’s amazing. I’m also grateful to have a family that’s been supportive of my work.

By Denise Gee Peacock

The 2025 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, held February 25-26 in Washington, D.C., brought together nearly 200 state and regional AMBER Alert coordinators, missing person clearinghouse managers, Tribal leaders, and public safety officials from across the U.S. and its territories, including American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Presenters and speakers included more than two dozen subject matter experts in missing child investigations and rapid response teams, emergency alerting, law enforcement technology, and Tribal law enforcement. Special guests included four family survivors who shared their powerful stories—and lessons learned.

*U.S. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona addresses attendees at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, D.C.*

Also there to address participants was Eileen Garry, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and U.S. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District and co-sponsor of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018.

The annual collaborative learning event is funded through the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs and administered by the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and its AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) initiative, both affiliated with the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College.

The symposium’s goal is to engage participants in discussing current issues, emerging technology, and best practices for recovering endangered missing and abducted children. Another objective is to improve the process of integration between state, regional, and rural communication plans with federally recognized Tribes from across the nation.

For the second year we enlisted the event management app Whova to help attendees plan their days, share their thoughts, and connect with each other. In keeping with that, we’ll let participants do most of the talking as we share event highlights.

This conference is a testament to the power
of collaboration. We’re here to bridge gaps,
share best practices, and innovate.
We’re here to hear the voices of those
who have experienced the unimaginable;
to honor their strength and resilience.

Janell Rasmussen

NCJTC Director / AATTAP Administrator

Never forget the difference you make in a child's
life. Ours is hard work, and sometimes gets us down.
But remember my family’s story. And never lose your
passion for keeping children safe.

Sayeh Rivazfar

Abduction survivor/law enforcement veteran/keynote speaker

AMBER Alert and Ashlynne’s Law
both save lives. Thank you for ensuring
your communities are prepared to
respond to every parent’s worst nightmare.

Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs (Fifth U.S. District)

U.S. Representative Andy Biggs

Arizona's 5th Congressional District

I will continue to push forward and spread
awareness, particularly about Indian Country,
hoping that one day jurisdiction and sovereignty
will not play a role in the search for a child.
And that every Tribe will have a plan
in place if an AMBER Alert ever
has to be activated.

Jada Breaux

Captain, Chitimacha Tribal Police Department, Louisiana

Sayeh [Rivazfar] is an incredible mother, an incredible warrior. Hearing her story was captivating, humbling, and gut-wrenching. As a mother of two young boys, I found her story beyond impactful. It provided a tangible sense of just how urgent it was to return home and continue the work.

Kelsey Commisso

Alerts Coordinator, Arizona Department of Public Safety

AMBER Alerts: To Activate or Not Activate was my absolute favorite session. Since I’m new to my position, it really made me think!

Whytley Jones

AMBER Alert Coordinator, Louisiana State Police

I’d never heard of the ‘Baby in a Box’ case [involving Shannon Dedrick], and the ending surprised me. I loved hearing the investigative lessons learned from it.

Michael Garcia

Detective, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii

Pasco County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office Captain Larry Kraus did an excellent job in explaining the application, effectiveness, and obstacles of OSINT. He is super-smart and relatable to those of us who may be tech-challenged.

John Graham

Investigator, Taylor County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office

Erika Hock did a great job of presenting the Charlotte Sena case. Her humility shown through, especially when sharing the searching mother’s criticisms [of their alerting process] … and how she’s looking to implement some of the mother’s suggestions.

Ana Flores

Senior Case Manager, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW
The symposium featured 28 presentations and workshops on relevant and pressing topics within child protection—each meant to deepen attendees’ understanding of current challenges and solutions. Click here to see the full agenda and here to read the speakers’ bios.

FAMILY PERSPECTIVES

Pamela Foster: Keynote speaker (parental/ AMBER Alert in Indian Country focus)
Sayeh Rivazfar: Keynote speaker (abduction survivor/law enforcement focus)
Noelle Hunter: Presenter (international parental child abduction focus)
Desiree Young: Presenter (parental focus)

INVESTIGATIONS / RESOURCES

AMBER Alert Coordination: Essential Resources
Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Updates
Search Methods in Tribal Communities
Tribal Response to Missing Children
U.S. Marshals Service Support for Missing Children

CASE STUDIES

“Baby in a Box” (Shannon Dedrick / Florida)
CART Response to Child Sex Trafficking (New Jersey)
Charlotte Sena Campground Abduction (New York)
Gila River Indian Community (Arizona)

ALERTING / TECHNOLOGY

AMBER Alerts: To Activate or Not Activate?
FirstNet Authority Updates & Resources (Indian Country)
IPAWS Emergency Communications Updates
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Analysis

CHILD ABDUCTION RESPONSE TEAMS (CARTs)

Pasco County, Florida
State of New Jersey

Bill Boldin, U.S. Marshals Service, 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium

Bill Boldin, Senior Inspector/National Missing Child Program Coordinator for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), talks with attendees about how the USMS is helping find missing children.

Eileen Garry, Acting Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, OJJDP, at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium

Eileen Garry, Acting Administrator for the DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, thanks symposium participants for their child protection work.

Janell Rasmussen at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

AATTAP Administrator/NCJTC Director Janell Rasmussen welcomes 2025 Symposium participants.

Pamela Foster, mother of Ashlynne Mike, gets a hug from U.S. Congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

Pamela Foster shares a hug with U.S. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona's 5th Congressional District.

Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs, walks with Pamela Foster (mother of Ashlynne Mike), and Janell Rasmussen, NCJTC Director/AATTAP Administrator at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

From left: Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs (5th District), AMBER Alert in Indian Country advocate Pamela Foster, and AATTAP Administrator/NCJTC Director Janell Rasmussen.

Ashlynne Mike, Pamela Foster, necklace, Alica Murphy Wildcatt, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Knowing that Pamela Foster's daughter, Ashlynne Mike, loved butterflies, AATTAP Administrator/NCJTC Director Janell Rasmussen presented Foster with a meaningful gift. The sterling silver necklace features a butterfly with the name “Ashlynne Mike” intricately cut into its wings. The necklace was crafted by AATTAP-AIIC Project Coordinator Alica Murphy Wildcatt, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Sayeh Rivazfar, Ahmad Rivazfar, The AMBER Advocate

Sayeh Rivazfar is shown with her father on the cover of The AMBER Advocate. Numerous participants were moved to share their contact information with her—and their support.

Sayeh Rivazfar, Randy Mitchell, Santa Rosa County Florida Sheriff's Office, at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

Sayeh Rivazfar stands with a career shadowbox bequeathed to her by Florida Sheriff's Deputy Randy Mitchell. Mitchell had worked to see justice served after Sayeh was brutally assaulted and her sister, Sara, was murdered by a family friend in 1988. Mitchell was proud of Sayeh's decision to go into law enforcement.

Sayeh Rivazfar's Punky Brewster tennis shoes on evidence bag

Sayeh Rivazfar brought the blue and pink Punky Brewster tennis shoes she had on when she and her younger sister, Sara, were abducted and brutally assaulted in 1988. Sara did not survive.

Sayeh Rivazfar and unidentified female at the 2025 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, Washington, DC

Symposium participants lined up to thank childhood assault/abduction survivor Sayeh Rivazfar—who also is a law enforcement veteran—for her moving keynote presentation.

Derek VanLuchene at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

AATTAP Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Manager Derek VanLuchene visits with attendees before the IPAWS/emergency alerting workshop.

Dr. Noelle Hunter, Jenniffer Price-Lehmann, international parental child abduction, IPCA, Muna

AATTAP Deputy Administrator Jenniffer Price-Lehmann, left, introduces Dr. Noelle Hunter before her powerful presentation on international parental child abduction (IPCA). Hunter's 4-year-old daughter, "Muna," was illegally taken by her non-custodial father to West Africa. She ultimately was able to return home, but only after a "full court press" by Hunter and others to make that happen.

Riley Borges, William "Billy" Oku, Hawaii

Hawaii detectives Riley Borges and William "Billy" Oku share a friendly "mahalo" during a break.

Jenniffer Price-Lehmann, Brittni Farmakes, Yesenia "Jesi" Leon-Baron, Jill Nysse

Dyana Chase with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (seated center) before discussing the "Baby in a Box" case at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

"Finding Shannon [Dedrick] renewed our sense of hope that a child could be found alive—even after five days of searching," said Dyana Chase (center), Special Agent/CART Supervisor, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)

Bill Boldin, left, and Byron Fassett at the 2025 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, Washington, DC

Bill Boldin with the U.S. Marshals Service (left) talks with AATTAP Deputy Administrator Byron Fassett before the start of the symposium.

Desiree Young, mother of Kyron Horman, speaks to attendees at the 2025 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

Desiree Young—mother of Kyron Horman, missing for nearly 15 years—expresses hope that she will learn more about her 14-year-old son's disappearance from his Oregon elementary school.

Bradley Russ with Eileen Garry at the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

NCJTC Executive Director Brad Russ with OJJDP Acting Administrator Eileen Garry.

Erika L. Hock of the New York State Police discussing the Charlotte Sena case during the 2025 National AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium in Washington, DC

New York State Police Senior Investigator Erika L. Hock presented a study of the Charlotte Sena abduction case.

FirstNet Authority, Jasper Bruner, Angel Benally, Tyesha M. Wood

From left: FirstNet Authority's Jasper Bruner and Angel Benally join AATTAP's AMBER Alert in Indian Country Manager Tyesha M. Wood before the FirstNet-focused presentation.

2025 AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium

Symposium-goers filled numerous meeting rooms during the 2025 learning event.

Retired New York State Police Investigator Sayeh Rivazfar holds up one of the Punky Brewster tennis shoes she was wearing during an assault on her at age 8—a crime that also took the life of her younger sister, Sara (seen with her in the top photo, on right).

Sayeh Rivazfar’s life was forever changed on September 22, 1988. That was when her mother’s boyfriend took her, then age 8, and her 6-year-old sister Sara, from their home in Pensacola, Florida, drove them to a remote area, brutally assaulted them, slashed their throats, and left them to die. Sayeh survived; her sister did not.

While living with her father and brother in Rochester, New York, Sayeh chose to join the New York State Police. She has since retired after two decades’ work, but her child protection work continues.

“I decided early on not to let trauma take me down. I use it as fuel to help others.”

Rivazfar displayed a shadow box that belonged to Santa Rosa County (Florida) Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Mitchell. When assigned to her case, the new father was outraged over the pain inflicted on her and her sister. He and Rivazfar kept in touch over the years. “He was proud of my law enforcement career,” she said.

Then, in 2012, shortly before he died of cancer, she received a package from him—his “career in a box,” including his badge and shield, along with a poignant letter. “It means the world to me, as he did.”

*Rivazfar with Randy Mitchell, who bequeathed her his “career in a box” (right).*

Dr. Noelle Hunter and her daughter "Muna" — *Dr. Noelle Hunter with her daughter “Muna”*

On New Year’s Day 2011, Dr. Noelle Hunter’s worst fear was realized: Her ex-husband had illegally taken their 4-year-old daughter to live in his home country of Mali, West Africa.

Thus began the college professor’s quest to have Maayimuna (“Muna”) returned to her—after nearly three years of “full-court press” work.

It’s now her mission to help others navigating the complex mire of international parental child abduction (IPCA).

As an AATTAP/NCJTC Associate, she also helps law enforcement understand how to best respond to IPCA cases. They also should understand this: “All abductions are local. The response a parent gets from that first call for help means everything.”

**Click here to learn more about Dr. Hunter’s story—and a poignant encounter she had with a Maryland State Trooper**.

Pamela Foster: ‘Indian Country Needs AMBER Alert’

Pamela Foster and her late daughter Ashlynne Mike — *Pamela Foster with daughter Ashlynne.*

Pamela Foster—the mother of Ashlynne Mike, namesake of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018—was introduced to Symposium attendees by U.S. Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. Biggs worked with Foster, and Arizona Senator John McCain to ensure passage of “Ashlynne's Law” two years after her 11-year-old daughter’s abduction and murder on the Navajo Nation reservation in 2016.

The Act provides numerous resources to Indian Country to bolster Tribal knowledge, training, technology, and partner collaboration to ensure children who go missing from Native lands can be found quickly and safely.

“Those of you in Tribal law enforcement, if you haven’t already received training, please schedule it as soon as possible,” Foster said. “We need law enforcement on Tribal land to share information with outside agencies so they can quickly apprehend criminals. Every child has the right to feel safe and live life to its fullest, and my fight is based on what I have experienced as a mother and a parent. I don’t ever want what happened to me to happen to another person.”

Foster’s powerful presentation was a gift to all who experienced it. Then she was given a gift—which provided another moving moment.

Read about Pamela's message, and the gift in honor of Ashlynne, here.

❖ Marshal More Support

*U.S. Marshals Service Senior Inspector Bill Boldin (left) with AATTAP Deputy Administrator Byron Fassett*

“We’re good at hunting down fugitives. We’re now putting that toward finding missing children. It’s not something we’re known for. But we want to focus our efforts on kids with the highest likelihood of being victimized, of facing violence.” – Bill Boldin, Senior Inspector/National Missing Child Program Coordinator, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)

Proven track record: From 2021 to 2024, 61% of missing child cases were resolved within seven days of USMS assistance.

❖ Model CARTs

Photo of Stacie Lick — **Leading by example:** Read more about retired Captain Stacie Lick's CART success.

“Mandates are pathways to support.” – Stacie Lick, Captain (Ret.), Gloucester County (New Jersey) Prosecutor’s Office

Having a dedicated, well-trained child abduction response team (CART) is essential to finding a missing child, using all available resources, when every minute counts. But symposium-goers know that building and sustaining a CART are significant obstacles for agencies with slim staffs and budgets.

The CART experts from New Jersey and Florida who shared advice at the symposium have spent nearly two decades overcoming those challenges by thinking creatively and strategically, such as getting buy-in for the expansion of New Jersey's CARTs after the high-profile Autumn Pasquale case in 2012. Or by having a well-thought-through staffing and resource plan, one that can be applied multi-jurisdictionally.

As a result of Captain Stacie Lick’s efforts to compile CART best practices for Gloucester County, New Jersey now mandates that all 21 of its counties have an active CART that follows standardized policies and procedures, and learns from mandatory after-action reporting. In 2008, as Lick was building Gloucester County’s CART, she was greatly inspired by the Pasco County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Missing Abducted Child (MAC) Team.

Each MAC deploys with a command post with a lead investigator assigned to it. It also has coordinators assigned to these critical tasks: leads management; neighborhood/business canvassing and roadblocks; sex offender canvassing; resources oversight; volunteer search management; search and rescue operations; logistics; public information and media relations; crime scene management; legal representation; analytics; and cybercrimes/technical support. A family liaison and victim advocate will also be on hand to provide valuable assistance.

Covers of two newly updated CART manuals

MODEL MANUALS
Many of the best practices used by the New Jersey and Pasco County, Florida, CARTs can be found in two newly updated, downloadable CART resources—one on implementation and the other on certification—both produced by AATTAP.

❖ Maximize Messaging

Law enforcement technology consultant Eddie Bertola provided several updates related to the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) overseen by the Federal Emergency Management System (FEMA).

Illustration of FEMA's Message Design Dashboard advantages for IPAWS — *IPAWS’ new Message Design Dashboard provides templates to help law enforcement save time and ensure alerting consistency. It also offers message previews and testing.*

The IPAWS portal that law enforcement uses to request AMBER Alerts now has a more streamlined interface. And within that is the new Message Design Dashboard (MDD), “an intuitive structure taking message crafting from 15 minutes to five minutes,” Bertola said.

MDD features drop-down menus that provide access to essential information that can be provided in a consistent manner and allow best usage of the 360-character limit within varied templates. It also can check for typos and invalid links and allow for easier message previews and system testing.

In other messaging news, another development is the Missing and Endangered Person/MEP Code, which was discussed in both the IPAWS workshop and updates session hosted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Approved in August 2004, the addition of the MEP code to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will enable law enforcement agencies to more rapidly and effectively issue alerts about missing and endangered persons by covering a wider range of ages and circumstances than AMBER Alerts alone. MEP alerts will utilize the same infrastructure as AMBER Alerts, thus allowing for widespread dissemination through various media channels.

❖ Intelligence Gathering

*Captain Larry Kraus* *of the Pasco County* *(Florida) Sheriff’s* *Office, Research* *& Analysis Division, led the OSINT discussion.*

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) analysis is the leveraging of data from publicly available communication sources such as social media apps, messaging boards, gaming platforms, and the dark web. This research complements more traditional law enforcement databases (criminal databases, LInX, LeadsOnline) and can yield more real-time clues.

Bad actors are increasingly digital obsessed—and inadvertently work against themselves by taking photos and videos with geolocations and time stamps—while leaving other digital breadcrumbs.

OSINT analysts requires continuous training on ever-evolving information-sharing channels. They need to understand how to avoid gleaning intelligence that can be challenged in court (and potentially weaken public trust). All the while they have to battle data overload from the sheer volume of information that needs assessing.

It’s imperative that agencies hire professionals capable of navigating such complexities, Kraus said of intelligence analysts, whom he calls “the unsung heroes of law enforcement.”

FINDING LOST PERSON BEHAVIOR
“I can’t believe I didn’t know about the Lost Person Behavior resource,” one attendee said on Whova. Mentioned during Pasco County’s CART workshop, “LPB,” as its known for short, refers to the science- and data-based research of Dr. Robert J. Koester, whose field guide-style book outlines 41 missing persons categories and provides layers of behavior a person in each classification will likely follow.

❖ Welcoming U.S. Territories

Partners from American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico traveled numerous time zones to attend this year’s symposium. “They really appreciated getting to meet their counterparts in the States,” said Yesenia “Jesi” Leon-Baron, AATTAP Project Coordinator for International/Territorial Programs *(shown fourth from left)*.

❖ DNA: 'Give People Back Their Names'

Ed O'Carroll speaking at the 2025 AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium In his “Genetic Genealogy” presentation, crime scene forensics expert Ed O’Carroll cited several ways to “give people back their names,” adding “crime is more solvable than ever before.”

• Look afield: Re-open a case involving a long-term missing person, or one with unidentified human remains, and let the growing realm of reputable DNA labs help solve a crime once thought unsolvable. “Our labs are overworked, so we need to find more ways to use private ones,” O’Carroll said.

• Be a “genetic witness”: Encourage people on the genealogy sites GEDmatch and AncestryDNA to opt in to giving law enforcement a broader field of DNA samples to consider when trying to pinpoint someone who may have committed a violent crime. “As many of us know, CODIS only gives a hit about half the time we use it.”

• “Prevent tomorrow’s victim by solving today’s case today,” O’Carroll said. Know the latest technology, including Rapid DNA, an FBI-approved process that can provide a scientific correlation in as little as 90 minutes.

❖ Decoding Alerting Decisions

911 illustration — **NEW COURSE OF ACTION:** AATTAP’s new course, 911 Telecommunicators and Missing & Abducted Children (aka “911 T-MAC”) is a must for public safety telecommunicators and members of law enforcement who face public calls for help. Look for online and in-person training opportunities here.

This was the second year for AATTAP Region 1 Liaison and alerting veteran Joan Collins to teach the popular class designed to help attendees analyze real-world cases of missing children and AMBER Alert requests, noting the key factors within the criteria that determine when an alert is issued; evaluate AMBER Alert effectiveness by comparing case details with activation criteria and assessing factors that influence decision-making; and propose improved response strategies.

Collins’ style is to amiably pepper participants with more than a dozen widely varying missing child scenarios, often throwing daunting updates into the mix. Participants responded using the Poll Everywhere app, which tabulated their responses in real-time on a large viewing screen.

“The alerting sessions instill confidence in new AMBER Alert Coordinators as well as seasoned ones,” Collins said. “The scenarios spark vigorous discussions, and networking with fellow AACs underscores the fact that they all go through the same process, even if criteria may differ.”

By Jody Garlock

Red Lake, Minnesota, set on the idyllic shores of one the state’s largest lakes, is typically a tranquil community. But on March 15, 2024, it bore witness to an unfathomable chain of events. The sirens of fire trucks and police cars echoed throughout the Red Lake Nation’s towering pine and birch trees as first responders raced toward a one-story home from which smoke was billowing.

Tragically, emergency responders found two young boys with knife wounds inside the house; both boys died. The area was a crime scene, and agents from the FBI and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) were among those who joined the investigation.

Red Lake Police authorities would also soon learn that a third child lived at the house. Three-year-old Ethan Stately, authorities realized, was missing and feared to be in danger, taken by his mother (who also was the mother of the two other boys).

Although the Red Lake Department of Public Safety had never before initiated an AMBER Alert, Department Director Kendall Kingbird Sr. and Lieutenant Geoff Pierre sensed how dire the situation was. “We had to get it solved and find our missing boy and mother,” Kingbird says. “And we needed to do that as soon as possible.” The AMBER Alert that followed would be the first one issued for any Minnesota Tribe.

Photos of Ricky Wuori and Janell Twardowski with the Minnesota BCA as well as the AMBER Alert poster for Ethan Stately. — “With this AMBER Alert, we hit all the components,” says Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator Janell Twardowski (right), who worked on the case with BCA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ricky Wuori (left) and others.

The case’s participating law enforcement agencies consider the collaboration a textbook example of an AMBER Alert response. From the beginning, state, Tribal, and federal partners coordinated efforts and shared information. The FBI immediately partnered with the Red Lake public safety department and BCA—responsible for issuing AMBER Alerts in Minnesota—and avoided communication silos to ensure resources were aligned and deployed. And the on-site presence of BCA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ricky Wuori, alongside FBI agents and Red Lake officers, facilitated rapid decision- making and an efficient, unified response.

The AMBER Alert itself solidly met all of the criteria. There was an abundance of information: the mother’s and child’s photos, a picture of the vehicle, the complete license plate number, and a distinctive Red Lake Nation tag. The alert also provided enough descriptive information to prompt a motorist who had seen the AMBER Alert to call authorities. “He spotted the vehicle, confirmed the license plate, and called 911,” says Janell Twardowski, AMBER Alert Coordinator (AAC) with the BCA’s Operations Center. “With any AMBER Alert, we’re relying on the public to respond, and that’s exactly what happened in this case.”

Less than two hours after the statewide AMBER Alert was issued around 9 p.m., authorities acting on the motorist’s tip pulled over the mother’s vehicle on a Minnesota highway. The toddler was safe inside, but showed signs of neglect. The mother, Jennifer Stately, was arrested and has since been federally charged with various counts of murder, arson, and child neglect. (An indictment alleges that Stately fatally stabbed one of her boys and slashed the other before setting the house on fire and fleeing with Ethan. She has filed an insanity defense.)

The Red Lake Nation, one of the state’s 11 federally recognized Tribes, has full sovereignty, subject only to the federal government. (It’s one of two Minnesota Tribes exempt from Public Law 280; therefore state courts/government have no jurisdiction.)

The fact that Kingbird and Pierre made the swift decision to initiate the department’s first-ever AMBER Alert stems in part from a trusted relationship with Wuori, who works out of the BCA’s regional office in Bemidji. “They have assisted us with a lot,” Kingbird says.

Wuori credits ongoing communication as key to building trust between agencies. “When you have a good relationship, it’s easier to get things moving,” he says. “It’s constant communication—stopping in and checking on everybody from time to time, not just when you need something.” Tribal investigators regularly meet with BCA agents, and BCA has held training specific to AMBER Alerts. Additionally, over the years, Minnesota’s Tribal communities have received ongoing training and support from the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and its AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and supported by the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act.

As Minnesota’s AAC, Twardowski points to similar relationship-building needed to ensure an AMBER Alert reaches as many people as possible. She credits the state’s media with timely stories and the state’s transportation department with posting roadside alert messages. “As an agency, we are committed to leveraging our partnerships to reach as many Minnesotans as possible,” she says.

In the aftermath of the incident, an outpouring of emotion filled the Red Lake community. A walk of remembrance and candlelight vigil were held to honor the 5- and 6-year-old brothers who died. Yet despite the profound grief, displays of hope and strength emerged. “We’re a tight-knitcommunity,” Kingbird says. For him, the tragedy instilled confidence in the AMBER Alert process. “We couldn’t have asked for a quicker response and a better outcome,” he says. “We’re glad the child was located, and it wouldn’t have been possible without an AMBER Alert.”

By Jody Garlock

Working on behalf of children has been the crux of Shelly Smitherman’s 28-year career with the state of Tennessee. Early on, she investigated abuse cases for the Department of Children’s Services in Nashville.

Later, as a drug agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), she was assigned to help search in the case of Holly Bobo, a nursing student whose abduction and murder led to the state expanding TBI’s Endangered Child Alerts to include persons over the age of 18. But it was when she began working as an agent in the TBI’s Criminal Intelligence Unit that she saw firsthand the impact of AMBER Alerts.

In her first case involving a missing child, a TBI AMBER Alert for a 15-year-old girl kidnapped by her 50-year-old teacher sparked a nationwide search. Public tips ultimately led to the teen’s safe recovery in California. “I feel like we had the whole nation looking for this child,” Smitherman says of the 2017 case.

Later that year, Smitherman became Tennessee’s AMBER Alert Coordinator (AAC) and Assistant Special Agent in Charge overseeing TBI’s Missing Persons Unit, a position she has held for eight years.

“I’ve always been passionate about working investigations when children are in danger,” she says of her varied roles.

Nearly three decades into her career, that passion hasn’t changed. But the processes have, as technology dramatically shifted alerting and investigations. “I remember a time when intelligence meant writing information on a spreadsheet on a piece of paper,” Smitherman says.

It’s been five years since The AMBER Advocate talked with Smitherman, so we caught up with the law enforcement veteran to discuss changes and challenges. As it happens, she had spent the previous day issuing an AMBER Alert in a case involving a noncustodial parent who had threatened to harm his 2-year-old; the girl was safely recovered. “It’s a reminder of the importance of agencies working together for one goal,” she says.

How has the process of issuing an AMBER Alert changed in the past five years?
In the past five years, we have definitely improved the process to request an AMBER Alert from local agencies. We now have a digital request form—the “push-packet”—that can be completed on scene from a cell phone or computer. The form contains all of the essential information that we will need to rapidly issue the alert. We provide training to local agencies across the state on a regular basis to ensure agencies are equipped before a child goes missing in Tennessee.

What are some specific advancements that are helping after an alert is issued?
One of our biggest advancements is license plate readers (LPRs). Those have been a game-changer for us if there’s a vehicle involved in locating a missing child. They also give us access to find a vehicle in a different state. Microsoft Teams has been another game-changer. We can put criminal intelligence, a suspect’s driver’s license, criminal history, and the AMBER Alert poster in a Teams chat and everybody gets that information in real time. Even someone on the ground in the middle of “Nowhere, Tennessee” can have access to real-time intelligence.

Luring is a growing issue due to more children using social media. How are you addressing this in your state?
The majority of our Endangered Child Alerts—we have about 40 a year—are kids meeting with someone they met online. Luring is going to be a continued problem as long as kids have cell phones or ways to access social media. There’s no way to control it. Kids don’t understand the risks of talking to a complete stranger until maybe they’ve met up and they’re put in danger. We’re always steps behind in an investigation that involves social media because the apps and platforms they use change every day. We have to figure out ways to find them quicker, and that’s the hard part.

On the flip side, how does TBI use social media to its advantage?
One thing we do is issue alerts through Bitly. On average, about 800,000 people view them on social media. Having 800,000 people helping us look for that missing child—we definitely want that help. With that many people looking, we’re going to find the child faster.

What about any accomplishments—what makes you proud?
I’m really proud of TBI’s role in missing children investigations. We don’t stop after we issue an AMBER Alert. We’ll have at minimum 10 to 20 agents assisting on the case. Everybody stops what they’re doing and helps. Our crisis team is obviously involved. We’ll also have the criminal investigations, criminal intelligence, and cybercrime units assisting. And our Child Abduction Response team (CART) responds statewide to all AMBER Alerts. [TBI’s CART program is certified by the U.S. Department of Justice.]

What advice do you have for fellow AACs?
It’s really important for AMBER Alert Coordinators, especially new ones, to get to know the coordinators in surrounding states. I have a good relationship with the other state coordinators in our Southeast Region. We share and discuss information and ideas with each other. Tennessee is connected to so many states, so having contacts where I can reach out at any time has been a great tool. So often, I need assistance from another state during an alert, and being able to call someone I met at AATTAP [AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program] meetings or the National Symposium for help is truly an advantage and saves so much time getting to the right person in another state.

How important has your networking been?
So often, I need assistance from another state during an alert, and being able to call someone I met at AATTAP [AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program] meetings or the national symposium for help is truly an advantage. It saves so much time getting to the right person in another state, especially when time is of the essence.

What would you like local law enforcement agencies to know?
Reach out. If an agency isn’t sure if something meets the AMBER Alert requirements, call and we’ll talk it through. Sometimes local agencies may take steps—such as interviews and surveillance—that could be done after we issue the AMBER Alert. That’s time where something could have gone in a bad direction for the child, and it puts us behind in getting the public’s help to search. Every second counts, so reach out.

Photo of a man holding a small girl outside in darkness, with trees visible in background. Caption for photo reads: Bienville (Louisiana) Parish Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Gros holds the 10-year-old after she was found safe in the woods. Gros was the first rescuer seen on the drone footage. The grateful child hugged him after he helped her up from the ground, where she had been sleeping. She returned home safe—and, according to authorities, also hungry. Photo credit reads: (Rescuer) Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office — A thermal imaging drone (top left) helped rescuers locate a 10-year-old girl who had sleep-walked her way into the dark piney woods near her North Louisiana home. Bienville (Louisiana) Parish Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Gros was the first rescuer to reach Peyton Saintignan (shown sleeping, top right, and with Gros at bottom). Photos: Webster Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office

By Jody Garlock

On the afternoon of Sunday, September 15, 2024, a call came into the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office (WSPO) in Minden, Louisiana: 10-year-old Peyton Saintignan was missing.

The girl had seemingly vanished while sleepwalking. This was something she had reportedly done inside her Dubberly home (35 miles east of Shreveport), but she had never left the house. Family members and neighbors had already spent an hour searching for the brown-haired girl, who was last seen at bedtime the previous night. With dense woods and dangerous wildlife such as wild hogs and rattlesnakes in the area, authorities knew that bringing Peyton to safety required quick action.

As the Sheriff’s Office dispatched its resources, the Louisiana State Police issued a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Advisory—a notification of a child believed to be in danger, but whose case doesn’t meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

The intensive 10-hour search that ensued brought together numerous law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security, and hundreds of volunteers. Tracking dogs, off-road vehicles, a helicopter, and aerial surveillance drones were all activated. But it would be a drone equipped with cutting-edge thermal technology that saved the day—and the girl.

At around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the operator set up his specialized equipment and onward and upward the drone went. Remarkably, within about 20 minutes, the drone’s ability to detect heat signatures was penetrating what by then was extreme darkness—and zeroed in on Peyton in the piney woods.

The riveting rescue footage that went viral showed the pajama-clad girl curled up on the ground and then waking as rescuers approached her in the woodsy terrain.

Local and national media alike recounted the happy ending. “Other than some mosquito bites, she was perfect,” Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “It’s truly a miracle.”

The case spotlights not only the importance of enlisting emerging technology to find missing children, but also the need to engage the public: The drone operator who spotted the girl had traveled from out of state, volunteering his services after hearing the breaking news about the search.

Photo of a man sitting on an outdoor chair and looking down at a drone control in his hands; he is sitting by a pickup truck that has its gate down and a flat-screen TV in the bed of the pickup. Photo credit reads: (Sheriff/drone operator) Webster County Sheriff’s Office — Josh Klober, co-owner of Drone Management Services in Magnolia, Arkansas, operates the equipment he volunteered for the search. Photo: Webster County (Louisiana) Sheriff's Office

Heat of the moment

In neighboring Arkansas, Josh Klober, who co-owns Drone Management Services in Magnolia, was watching a Sunday football game at his home when reports of the massive search in north Louisiana spread across the region. Knowing his drone’s thermal-imaging camera could detect body heat with pinpoint accuracy, even in areas obscured by dense woods, the father of two felt compelled to make the 90-minute drive to the search area.

Klober offered his assistance and waited until authorities gave the go-ahead after a search helicopter finished its work. He set up his equipment, which included a generator and a large flat-screen TV to monitor the drone footage in real time from the bed of his pickup truck. It was parked in the vicinity of where a hunter’s trail camera had earlier captured an image of the wandering girl.

His strategy at piloting the drone was simple: Think like a child. “There’s big, wooded areas around, but I’m trying to think like a 10-year-old,” Klober told Arkansas’ KNWA-TV. His hunch was that a child (albeit one who was sleepwalking) may not stray too far from the road, so he decided to contain his search within 40 yards of it.

Less than 30 minutes in, Klober could see a hot spot, which upon zooming in, revealed an image of the girl lying on the ground. The location was about 1 ½ miles from her home and 300 yards from where the trail camera recorded her.

Video footage shows how initial claps turned to silence when authorities gathered around the pickup truck realized the girl wasn’t moving. Klober kept the drone’s spotlight on her to guide rescuers to the exact location. As the TV screen showed Bienville Parish Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Gros making his way to her, the girl slowly raised her head. A joyful cry of “She’s awake!” was followed by claps from the group around Klober’s truck who were witnessing the rescue in real time.

After the rescuer lifted her up from the ground, the grateful girl put her arms around his waist in a hug. “It was pretty emotional for everybody,” Klober told “Inside Edition.”

Grateful community

The viral video of the rescue garnered thousands of comments from people impressed with the precision of the drone’s thermal-imaging technology that cut through the dense, dark forest.

They also praised rescuers, including Klober, who was singled out as a hero. “Drone operator deserves a medal!” one person commented on YouTube. “How altruistic of him to take it upon himself to rush over, dedicate his time and effort.” “Citizens helping other citizens—that’s how it’s done!” said another person.

The WPSO used its Facebook page to update the public on the story and express gratitude to Klober, Drone Management Services, and the agencies and volunteers who helped search forand safely recover Peyton.

While Klober stated in a local news interview “there’s a little bit of luck involved” in any type of drone search. “But whether someone else found her, or we found her,” he said, “I’m just glad she was found.” Sheriff Parker appeared more pragmatic about the recovery operation, praising it as a “truly cooperative effort.”

By Jody Garlock

Fred Rogers’ famous advice to “look for the helpers”—intended to steer children toward safety in times of chaos or tragedy—has endured for decades. And Morrissa Ahl-Moyer definitely falls into the category of a helper. Her 20-plus years in public safety took her from being a volunteer first responder, to a 911 telecommunicator, and now, Director and Clearinghouse Manager of the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons (NCCMP), a division of the state’s Department of Public Safety based in Cary. The NCCMP receives more than 10,000 missing persons reports annually.

“I’ve always been a helper of sorts with my career choices,” says Ahl-Moyer, whose job includes being North Carolina’s AMBER Alert Coordinator (AAC). “For me now, it’s getting to make sure troopers and dispatchers have what they need.”

Since stepping into her role in June 2023, Ahl-Moyer has stepped up NCCMP’s training, including working with law enforcement authorities to ensure they understand the state’s AMBER Alert process and the online portal.

Her outreach during her first year on the job included hosting a missing persons resources class in her hometown of Dunn, North Carolina, where she started as an EMT. To her surprise, more than 200 officers and public safety personnel showed up for the event.

“It confirmed I was on the right track,” Ahl-Moyer says. “It’s training we need, and we need to do more of it.”

That message is something she champions whether she’s training law enforcement or participating in or attending state and national conferences.

We caught up with Ahl-Moyer when she was in another form of helper mode: voluntarily working night shifts at a communication center to lessen the load on 911 telecommunicators handling calls after Hurricane Helene’s destruction in western North Carolina.

Telecommunicators tend to be overlooked in the [AMBER Alert] decision-making process, but they can be the best source of information. They’re truly the ‘first’ first responders—the ones who get the initial call when a child goes missing. And often they have the knowledge to say, ‘Hey this might fit the criteria for an AMBER Alert.’

Morrissa Ahl-Moyer Director/Clearinghouse Manager, North Carolina Center for Missing Persons

How does having 911 telecommunicator experience inform your AMBER Alert Coordinator (ACC) work?
As a telecommunicator who answered after-hours calls for NCCMP, I had a basic knowledge of how the alert process worked, the criteria, and the information needed before we contacted the AMBER Alert Coordinator for approval. I also recognized a knowledge gap. Most of the agencies had never requested an AMBER Alert before and weren’t sure of the process. This was further exacerbated when there was a transition from faxing forms to an online portal. I’ve been working to ensure everyone knows how the process works.

How do you help people understand AMBER Alerts and other endangered missing advisories?
Training is everything. It’s vital in our line of work. That’s why I’ve conducted sessions at symposiums, the state’s 911 Conference, local law enforcement agencies, communication centers, and more. Doing so gets important information out to those who need it the most. I go over the basic criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert and give them an overview of the process. Beyond discussing the essentials, getting out and meeting people gives me the chance to say, “Here’s my cell phone number. Even if you think a case doesn’t meet our AMBER Alert criteria, let’s talk about it.”

After transitioning from 911 to ACC did you experience any challenges?
Understanding the technical side of IPAWS [Integrated Public Alert & Warning System] was an initial hurdle. Luckily, one of the on-call team members is a guru and has helped me learn more about it. In my previous role, we would only do the EAS [Emergency Alert System]—and we were done. I’ve now realized that it’s so much deeper than that. I’m still learning it all.

What’s new with NCCMP in terms of projects you’re working on?
One project is that we’re in the building phase of a missing child repository. It will update weekly from the NCIC [National Crime Information Center] files, but it also gives me the option of real-time manual entry. If a missing child doesn’t meet AMBER Alert criteria, I can put the word out and it will send a media notification. It will increase awareness when every minute matters. It’s a first for our state, and I’m excited about it.

What issues regarding missing children concern you the most?
Human trafficking is a major problem. I really was blinded to it before coming into this role. It’s scary to see how easy it can be to end up in trouble, especially when there are so many at-risk young people across the nation. Online enticement is another growing concern. I’m also seeing that 15-year-old minority females are reported missing more than any other demographic, which needs more of our research and understanding.

Calling All 911 Telecommunicators

AATTAP’s course, 911 Telecommunicators and Missing & Abducted Children (“911 T-MAC,” for short) is essential not only for law enforcement and public safety telecommunicators but also for any members of law enforcement and support staff who address public calls for help.

The interactive training session equips 911 telecommunicators with needed skills and resources by:

Analyzing real cases to recognize various types of missing child incidents and how they are reported.
Exploring optimal practices using systems and standards from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO ANS 1.101.4-2022).
Addressing resilience-building strategies to cope with emotionally demanding cases.

The course represents a full update of AATTAP’s “Telecommunications Best Practices for Missing and Abducted Children” (TELMAC) class, which launched in 2010 as both a classroom offering and as a self-paced online class.

The 911 T-MAC class launched this past fall in Appleton, Wisconsin, where more than 60 telecommunicators from around the country attended the pilot training session.

“The amount of information presented during the class was perfect,” one participant said. “It was all presented in a way that wasn’t overwhelming, but engaging and easy to understand.”

The class will be offered in person and online starting this spring. Watch for training opportunities at bit.ly/911tmac.

By Denise Gee Peacock

While searching for their missing child, parents carry a heavy load—assisting law enforcement, rallying media and public interest in the case, and working to keep food on the table—all while not completely unraveling. But another group of family members is also struggling: the missing child’s siblings.

As sibling survivor Trevor Wetterling recalls, “People would always ask, ‘How are your parents doing?’ And I’d think, ‘What about me? Don’t they care how I’m doing?’ ” Meanwhile, he says, “I’d come home from school, and everyone was sitting around being quiet. No one would tell me what was going on.”

Like other sibling survivors, Trevor’s feelings stem not from self-centeredness, but from a need to validate his own trauma, his own sense of worth.

Trevor is the brother of Jacob Wetterling, an 11-year-old who was kidnapped at gunpoint by a masked man in 1988. Trevor was with Jacob when the abduction occurred, making the ordeal even more traumatic. The Wetterling family spent nearly three decades searching for Jacob until 2016, when his killer divulged to law enforcement where the boy’s body could be found. This, of course, came as another blow.

Trevor and his sisters, Amy and Carmen, are three of 16 sibling survivors of missing children willing to talk candidly about the challenges they faced—and sometimes continue to reckon with. If struggling siblings are lucky, they’ll find support from well-trained professionals. If they’re even luckier, they’ll find strength from those who truly understand their needs: Fellow survivors—whom Zach Svendgard calls “our chosen family.”

Zack is the brother of Jessika Svendgard, an honor student who, at age 15, left home after receiving a bad grade. Alone and vulnerable, she was lured into the hands of sex traffickers until she could break free from her abusers. Zack appreciates Jessika’s strength—and works to share it. “The world is a heavy thing to try to balance all on our own shoulders,” he says. “But powerful things can happen when kind people are enabled to take action.”

The action these siblings have taken is helping update a comprehensive resource for children going through similar struggles: the multimedia guide, What About Me? Finding Your Path Forward When Your Brother or Sister Is Missing.

The new 98-page What About Me? is the second edition of a guide first published in 2007. It was spearheaded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) / Office of Justice Programs (OJP) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Its development was overseen by the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) / National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College.

Contributors to What About Me? bring clarity to the complex needs siblings face: Children in families with missing siblings can’t easily process what they’re experiencing. They aren’t hearing the particulars from law enforcement. They aren’t trained to respond to an intrusive or hurtful question from the media. They don’t know how to navigate their frayed family dynamics. And they need help.

The guide provides tangible ways that siblings of missing children can handle stress, the investigative process, and media interactions. It also can help them express their needs to their loved ones and family advocates, and find helpful resources during either a short or prolonged period of uncertainty, fear, and grief.

What About Me? features the voices and perspectives of eight sibling contributors while weaving in advice from seven other siblings who participated in the first edition. It also reflects the expertise of DOJ/AATTAP/NCJTC subject matter experts, child/victim advocates, and relevant, credible U.S. agencies that can help.

The sibling contributors have survived vastly different experiences: Some have missing siblings who were kidnapped by strangers or abducted by family members, while others have siblings who ran away or were lured away from home. Some of their siblings were found safe and returned home. One contributor is herself a victim of a horrific abduction and assault—in which her younger sister was murdered. Others have siblings whose whereabouts still remain unknown, or they were found deceased.

Click here to access a PDF of this advice from the sibling survivors. Share it with anyone searching for a loved one.

To produce What About Me?, OJJDP/OJP tapped the AATTAP publications team led by Bonnie Ferenbach, and NCJTC Associate Helen Connelly to coordinate the project. The group also played key roles in updating When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, released in 2023.

Connelly is a longtime advocate for missing children and their families. In 2005, while serving as a senior consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice, Connelly and Ron Laney, then Associate Administrator of OJJDP’s Child Protection Division, teamed up to produce the first-ever sibling survival guide, What About Me? Coping With the Abduction of a Brother or Sister, published in 2007.

“Through Helen and Ron’s vision and compassion, this guide, as well as numerous other resources, have provided support, encouragement, help, and resources needed by so many families,” says AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen.

With Connelly’s encouragement, past and present sibling contributors participated in writing the guide because they recognize shared pain—and potential dilemmas. “Trauma, if left untreated, can manifest itself in harmful ways later in life,” says sibling contributor Heather Bish.

The sibling survivors who worked on the updated resource valued the chance to collaborate with others in “the club nobody wants to belong to,” says Heather, who contributed to both editions. “But our experiences are special,” adds contributor Rysa Lee. “We have the tools that can help others.”

Sibling survivor / guide contributor Rysa Lee — **Watch** the sibling survivors discuss their stories and **read** their advice to others.

At the project’s start, the siblings met virtually before gathering in person in Salt Lake City in January 2024. There, they bonded, and wholeheartedly shared their experiences and advice on camera for the new edition’s companion videos. “Working with the other siblings of missing persons left me shocked at the outcomes they had; in some way, they each had answers,” says contributor Kimber Biggs. “It was comforting to know that getting answers is even possible.”

Content talks continued, and the guide began to take shape. Then, on May 22, 2024, a powerful two-hour roundtable was held at OJJDP offices after the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The siblings agree that “there is no right or wrong way to survive, it is just our own,” Heather says. “We hope that sharing our experiences will empower other siblings to forge ahead, and possibly empower someone else to do the same.”

Each of the sibling contributors discussed their lives now as social workers, teachers, and counselors. Contributor Sayeh Rivazfar has dedicated two decades of her life to serving in law enforcement, investigating crimes against children, before her retirement two years ago.

Sayeh doesn’t think of herself as a victim or survivor: “It’s more than that. I see myself more as a thriver, despite the odds.” She credits this to the love and support she has received over the years from family members, friends, and caring professionals.

“A guide like this would have been so helpful to us,” she says. “But we hope that now, with its help, with our help, children can know they are not alone. That we care about them, and want them to thrive too.”

Rysa adds another positive take. There is light to be found in the darkness of tumult, she says. “Siblings do come home, and my family is living proof.”

New guide’s sibling contributors

Kimber Biggs, sister of Mikelle Biggs (Arizona) Kimber was 9 when her 11-year-old sister, Mikelle, was kidnapped on January 2, 1999, while riding her bike near their family’s Arizona home. Mikelle was never seen again. Since then, Kimber has spent 25 years advocating on her sister’s behalf. Through the Facebook page Justice for Mikelle Biggs, Kimber shares updates on Mikelle’s case to more than 29,000 followers. Also, since late 2023, Kimber has worked as an AATTAP- NCJTC Associate, providing her powerful family perspective to investigators learning how to best work with victims’ families in missing persons cases. “It has taken a lot of work and therapy to get to the place I am today,” she says. She also remains hopeful that her sister’s case will be solved. “A new detective has been assigned to what was a very cold case,” she told attendees at the 2024 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium. “The fact that he’s eyeing a significant suspect in the case makes it feel like something is finally happening.”

Rysa Lee, sister of Maayimuna “Muna” N’Diaye (Alabama) Rysa was 14 when her 4-year-old sister, “Muna,” was abducted by her biological father to Mali, West Africa, on December 27, 2011. Rysa and Muna’s mother, Dr. Noelle Hunter, began a relentless campaign to bring “Muna” home—which thankfully occurred in July 2014. Since then, the family has tirelessly advocated on behalf of international parental child abduction (IPCA) cases via the organization they founded, the iStandParent Network. While her sister’s IPCA case was relatively short, “that year and a half was by far the most difficult and longest time of my life,” Rysa says. “To this day, I have never felt as empty and distraught as I felt during that time. The fact that my youngest sister was across an ocean and not in the room next to me sleeping every night was incredibly painful.” Rysa found comfort in high school band and color guard participation, listening to music, “and leaning on my friends to cope.” She currently works in banking and attends the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where her mother, an assistant professor of political science, oversees the International Child Abduction Prevention and Research Office (and contributed to the Family Survival Guide).

Cory Redwine, brother of Dylan Redwine (Colorado) On November 18, 2012, Cory was 20 years old when his 13-year-old younger brother, Dylan, traveled to stay with their father on a scheduled court-ordered visit. The next day his father would report Dylan as missing. The teen’s whereabouts remained unknown until 2017, when his father was convicted of second-degree murder and child abuse in Dylan’s death. Before then, Cory and his family spent nearly a decade searching for Dylan. They have since spent years seeking justice for him and educating others about the legal loopholes in parental custody issues that can prove deadly. (Cory and Dylan’s mother, Elaine Hall, is now an AATTAP/ NCJTC Associate who discusses her family’s case with law enforcement; she also contributed to the Family Survival Guide.) Cory recalls the court process being “long and arduous; it brought up so many emotions for me. But it also made me realize that I am stronger than I thought I was, that my voice and words are powerful,” he says. Now a father of two, Cory finds it an honor to helps adults facing difficult situations. “My experience, different as it is from theirs, allows me to help them through challenging times and come out better on the other side.”

Sayeh Rivazfar, sister of Sara Rivazfar (New York) After her parents’ divorce in 1985, Sayeh and her younger siblings had “child welfare officials in and out of our home due to physical and mental abuse at the hands of our mother and others,” Sayeh says. “Unfortunately, [our mother] thought having men in our lives would help us. But her boyfriends weren’t all good. In fact, one changed our lives forever in the worst way imaginable.” In the middle of the night of September 22, 1988, one of those boyfriends took the sisters from their home, drove to a remote area, brutally assaulted both girls and left them to die. Sayeh, then 8 years old, survived. Sara, age 6, did not. “From that day forward, I felt guilty for surviving and had dreams of saving my sister from this nightmare,” Sayeh says. “I was determined to bring her killer to justice.” Thankfully she was able to do just that. She and her brother, Aresh, moved to Rochester, New York, to live with their father, Ahmad (now a nationally known child protection advocate and Family Survival Guide contributor). Sayeh’s passion to help others, especially children, inspired her to join the New York State Police force, from which she recently retired after two decades of child protection and investigative work. She now focuses on being a good mother to her son. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done, and even prouder of the children I’ve helped,” she says. “The story never ends, but it can have a better ending than one might think.”

Heather Bish, sister of Molly Bish (Massachusetts) On June 27, 2000, Heather’s 16-year-old sister, Molly, went missing while working as a lifeguard. Molly’s disappearance led to the most extensive search for a missing person in Massachusetts history. In June 2003, Molly’s remains were found five miles from her home in Warren. While the investigation into her sister’s murder continues, Heather uses social media to help law enforcement generate leads and “share her story—our story,” she says. Heather was supportive of her parents’ work to create the Molly Bish Foundation, dedicated to protecting children. “I carry that legacy on today,” she says. She has filed familial DNA legislation for unresolved cases and advocates for DNA analyses for these types of crimes. She also has served on the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance Board and was part of the state’s Missing Persons Task Force. “As a mother and a teacher, my hope is that children never have to experience a tragedy like this.”

Zack Svendgard, brother of Jessika Svendgard (Washington) In 2010, Zack’s younger sister, Jessika, first ran away, and then was lured away from their family home near Seattle. As a result, the 15-year-old became a victim of sex trafficking. It took 108 days for Jessika to return to her family and get the help she needed, Zack says. “Her recovery in many ways was just the beginning. In many ways the broken person who came home was not the little girl who had left.” Jessika’s ordeal has been featured in the documentaries “I Am Jane Doe” and “The Long Night.” She and her mother, Nacole, have become powerful advocates for victims of sex trafficking and instrumental in passing legislation to increase victim rights, issue harsher punishments for sex offenders, and shut down websites that facilitate sex trafficking. (Nacole is an AATTAP/NCJTC Associate who provides her family perspective to law enforcement; she also contributed to the Family Survival Guide.) “We’ve joined organizations such as Team HOPE [of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children/NCMEC] to provide counseling to others, and are ourselves committed to therapy and self care.”

Amy & Carmen Wetterling, brother of Jacob (Minnesota) On October 22, 1989, Amy and Carmen’s brother, 11-year-old Jacob, was abducted at gunpoint by a masked man while riding his bike with his younger brother, Trevor, and a family friend. His whereabouts were unknown for nearly three decades, but on September 1, 2016, Jacob’s remains were found after his killer confessed to the crime. Jacob’s abduction had an enormous impact—not only on his family, but also on people throughout the Midwest, who lost their sense of safety. Amy, Carmen, and Trevor have been inspired to help others by their mother, Patty Wetterling. Patty has shared countless victim impact sessions with law enforcement across the U.S. (many of them AATTAP/NCJTC trainings). She is co-founder and past director NCMEC’s Team HOPE, co-author of the 2023 book, Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope, and a contributor to the Family Survival Guide. “Jacob inspires us every day,” Amy says. “He believed in a fair and just world, a world where all children know they are special and deserve to be safe.” Adds Carmen, “Jacob believed that people were good. And he lived his life centered on 11 simple traits.”

Additional contributors:
Learn about the siblings who shared their advice for the 2007 first edition of What About Me? Coping With the Abduction of a Brother or Sister here.

Sibling contributor Sayeh Rivazfar—a retired 20-year veteran of the New York State Police—with her son. [Photo: MaKenna Rivazfar] — Sibling contributor Sayeh Rivazfar—a retired 20-year veteran of the New York State Police—with her son.

Helpful advice for the helpers

What About Me? includes a detailed section of guidance relating to law enforcement and judicial processes. It also provides tips for navigating traditional media and social media. Consider these insights from the sibling contributors.

During a law enforcement investigation

Siblings “may have a law enforcement officer with little or no experience with a missing children case, seems uncomfortable and distant, or someone who jumps in with both feet,” says Sayeh Rivazfar. The retired law enforcement professional is the survivor of a heinous crime against her and her sister, Sara, who did not survive. “If you want to talk to a different officer, speak up,” Sayeh advises.
Children are especially confused by law enforcement’s intrusion upon their home and being asked what seems like invasive questions. Help them understand that this is normal—either directly or with the help of a family/child advocate.
“Just because you don’t hear about progress doesn’t mean they’re not making any,” one sibling notes. Try to schedule regular check-in calls with the family. Let families know that while law enforcement is unable to share every detail of the investigation, they can strive to apprise the family of their progress while keeping lines of communication open and productive.
If children are expressing anger toward their parents, emphasize that “your parents are still your parents, they still love you, and they care about your feelings—even if they can’t show it right now,” contributors say.
Be prepared for such questions as:
»How do I handle phone calls during the search?
»How should we handle our missing sibling’s social media and email accounts?
»Can I still go into my sibling’s room?
»Will we get their belongings back?

Working with traditional/social media

There’s no such thing as “off the record,” contributors say.
To foster quality reporting “find the journalist who provides compassion and truth, and give them an exclusive interview,” Sayeh advises.
With nonstop anonymous, uniformed sources on social media, tell children to “be prepared for positive and negative running commentary,” Rysa Lee says.
Propose potential answers (in italics) to commonly asked media questions that often make children uncomfortable:
»Do you think your sibling is still alive? I hope so.
»What happened? I don’t know, and I don’t want to talk about it with you.
»Was your sibling sexually abused? I don’t know, but it’s not something I want to discuss.
»How does this situation make you feel? I don’t want to talk about my feelings right now.

Medford Township, New Jersey, Police Chief Arthur Waterman discussing CART training/certification in Burlington County

Burlington County, New Jersey, CART certification preparation

Burlington County, New Jersey, Prosecutor Lachia Bradshaw regarding CART certification preparation

By Denise Gee Peacock

AATTAP Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Assessors James Holmes, Stacie Lick, Vonyale Montgomery, and Lead Assessor/CART Manager Derek VanLuchene (in neon vests) can be seen working with multiple law enforcement agencies from Burlington County, New Jersey, during a large-scale training exercise to strengthen responses to missing and endangered children incidents.

Nearly 100 members of law enforcement joined in the exercise “to enhance their knowledge of how to handle cases involving our most vulnerable populations,” said Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw.

“The training was designed to be a worst-case scenario involving a missing boy who suffers from epilepsy,” reported Fox 29. “Following protocol, the investigation gradually ramps up to a full-scale activation of CART,” one involving about 30 actors.

Burlington County is expected to be the fifth team in New Jersey to receive CART certification from the U.S. Department of Justice with AATTAP/NCJTC's help.

“This is definitely an excellent educational experience for all our personnel,” noted Medford Township Police Chief Arthur Waterman.

“Thank you to Fox 29 for reporting on the excellent work being done by Burlington County to bring together partners to prepare to respond to missing and abducted children,” said AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen.

>> Watch the story here! https://www.fox29.com/video/1550356

My dearest Ashlynne,

Here’s wishing you what would have been your 20th birthday today — November 13, 2024.

Instead of writing out your card like I always did, today I will cherish our special moments while wishing you a happy birthday.

Tears of joy flow as I remember the day you were born. It was on a beautiful autumn sunset, the leaves of the trees clinging on to the branches and the sun casting its last golden rays through the hospital window. The sunray lit up our room, telling me another star was born and what a special gift you would be.

As I travel down memory lane, I sigh, I smile and I cry, knowing that heaven gave me the best 11 years that I could ever ask for. And today, Ashlynne, we who loved you honor your beautiful life, and we send you our sweetest memories and birthday wishes to you in heaven.

For those who did not know Ashlynne, here’s what I would tell you about her. She was such a creative spirit. For one thing, she was musically gifted. She loved the xylophone and piano, and she played those in her school assemblies every chance she had. She also was a natural born artist who won awards for her paintings.

In addition to those gifts, she was smart, shy, and kind-hearted. Her favorite food was spaghetti. Her favorite colors were yellow and purple. And for these and so many other reasons, her friends adored her.

Ashlynne’s desire to spread happiness extended to our farm, where she loved taking care of her animals. She had cats, dogs, and chickens. She was very special to everyone, and everything, she touched.

That’s why her loss has broken so many of our hearts. But that also has emboldened us.

Ashlynne was 11 years old when she was abducted and murdered on the Navajo Nation on May 2, 2016. A series of jurisdictional hurdles delayed the search for her, and because of that I worked tirelessly to ensure no other child, or their family, would need to face the same tragedy as ours endured. It was vital that Tribal lands improve training and access to the AMBER Alert system across this country.

The first realization of that dream came on April 13, 2018, when “Ashlynne’s Law” (S. 772) was officially signed into law as the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018. Ashlynne’s Law now helps Tribal communities develop programs to safely recover endangered missing or abducted children. So much has been accomplished, while there is a great deal left to do—and a lot of support to make that happen.

I take pride in knowing that, and think Ashlynne would too. And to Ashlynne I say, your presence is so deeply missed. But your love and influence continue to touch so many lives. I believe that is the best birthday gift we can give you.

HAPPY 20th birthday, my darling girl. But to me, you will be Forever 11.

With eternal love,

Mommy

Banner of Ashlynne Mike promoting the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018 — Editor’s Note: All of us within the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative are forever indebted to Pamela Foster for her ongoing efforts to help law enforcement respond quickly and effectively when a child goes missing in Indian Country.

Photo of two women standing near the U.S. Capitol.

Photo showing the seal of American Samoa

AATTAP Project Coordinator Derek VanLuchene speaks to a group of child protection professionals in American Samoa

Photo of a woman sitting at a table, with other people behind her, listening in a classroom setting in American Samoa.

Participants shown at tables, with their heads bowed in prayer, during the AATTAP visit

Group portrait of AATTAP meeting attendees in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Customs and Border Protection members attend the AATTAP workshop in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Gold challenge coin for the Governor of Guam and AMBER Alert pin.

Group of AATTAP leaders gathered with Guam representatives

Photo of people sitting at a table listening to a AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen, standing behind a podium in Puerto Rico.

Photo showing exterior of police headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Photo of 20th Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico,Jenniffer González-Colón, speaking at an event.

Photo showing the screen of a laptop, people in a classroom setting, and a larger screen at front of a classroom; both screens show the opener for a “Child Sex Trafficking Case Study.”

Group of AATTAP leaders with law enforcement professionals involved in the Northern Border Initiative, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Photo of three men and a woman sitting around a table talking with AATTAP in Canada.

Photo of a computer screen showing 25 squares with a person or name of someone attending a virtual meeting.

By Denise Gee Peacock

The United States’ 14 territories—three in the Caribbean, 11 in the Pacific—play a key role in ensuring our collective national security. In turn, the U.S. ensures each homeland has the security it needs to protect its own—especially its children. That’s because the need for AMBER Alerts resonates in every language.

In the past 30 years, AMBER Alert programs have helped law enforcement safely recover 1,200 missing children. Those successes—and lessons learned from not having plans and resources in place to quickly mobilize when a child goes missing—have prompted other countries to seek guidance from the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP).

As a U.S. Department of Justice initiative, the AATTAP—part of the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College—provides free training and technical assistance to U.S. territories, Indian Country, and other countries with Department of Justice (DOJ) funding. Trainings improve law enforcement’s response to cases of endangered missing and abducted children. They also address endangerment dynamics that often are not well understood: high-risk victims, children in crisis, and the commercial sexual exploitation of youth.

Since all U.S. territories are islands, careful consideration of weather is always in play, with hurricanes and typhoons threatening both travel and infrastructure.

AATTAP’s work with each territory includes first conducting high-level needs assessment meetings to learn and understand the important considerations unique to each territory’s cultural, geographic, and technological needs and challenges—to ensure these dynamics are addressed in training and resource efforts. AATTAP’s Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training is also delivered to key partners who will be part of their comprehensive response.

“Each territory’s capabilities and needs can be very different, so we spend the bulk of our time initially listening and learning about the issues they face,” says AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen. “Puerto Rico, for instance, has an AMBER Alert Coordinator and AMBER Alert system in operation. But that’s currently not the case in American Samoa, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. They’re all at very different places in terms of how they’re responding to cases involving missing children.

“Geographically some of the islands are closer to other countries than they are to us, so these issues have to be considered before we prepare training plans for them,” Rasmussen explains. “Our work has to be developed to address the specific problems they face—whether it’s child sex trafficking or a lack of resources, such as high-speed Internet access.”

Many territories, for instance, do not have access to Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) or the Internet Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS). They also lack road signs for public alerting. Additionally, “their children are often taken to a different country, which adds a whole new layer of complexity for collaboration and contact expectations,” Rasmussen explains.

Knowing this, AATTAP leaders and subject matter experts have flown tens of thousands of miles to ensure U.S. territories’ needs can be met. “It’s important they know we offer the same level of training and technical assistance as we do in the States.”

Here are some of the regions where AATTAP partnerships are helping save lives.

American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands

From the U.S. mainland, travel to American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands in the south-central Pacific Ocean requires nearly 24 hours of flying time. American Samoa, for instance—the only inhabited territory south of the Equator—is 2,200 miles from Hawaii to the northeast, and 1,600 miles from New Zealand to the southwest.

For nearly two years, the federal government has been working to uphold National Defense Authorization Act provisions that ensure U.S. territories have the training and technical assistance needed to protect their citizens and children. This includes challenges related to integrating and facilitating AMBER Alert programs.

In February of this year, the team conducted two days of needs-assessment meetings in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Then in July, the team visited Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to do the same.

As is the case on the U.S. mainland, each needs-assessment meeting involves facilitated discussions about law enforcement procedures, the territory’s needs for fully and quickly investigating missing child incidents, their emergency messaging capabilities, and ultimately what AATTAP training and technical assistance they would like to have.

Reception to the visits was warm and enthusiastic. Often present were U.S. congressional delegates, local and federal law enforcement and telecommunicators, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to child protection.

“Our partners are appreciative that we’re willing to go to great lengths to work with them where they live,” says AATTAP Project Coordinator Yesenia “Jesi” Leon-Baron, who manages territorial, international, and Southern/Northern Border Initiatives. “Doing so helps us see what their challenges are in safely recovering endangered and missing children.”

This support is a lifeline to the islands. As Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Department of Public Safety Commissioner Anthony Macaranas told the Saipan Tribune, “One of our biggest challenges is that we’re far away from the United States mainland.” Thus, creating or strengthening AMBER Alert plans will help the CNMI build relationships with key members of law enforcement “and help us progressively move forward,” he said.

One case in the Northern Marianas that people would like to see resolved involves missing elementary-school-age sisters Maleina and Faloma Q. Luhk, who mysteriously disappeared while waiting for a school bus near their home in May 2011.

“All of these things we’re getting [from the AATTAP and others] are to prepare us, and the long-term plan is to finally sit down and come up with a strategic plan” on implementing AMBER Alerts, Macaranas said. “It involves a lot of manpower, data, and of course funding … but in the end, we’re going to have this program here.”

Trafficking “is one of the greatest crimes imaginable,” said High Chief Uifa’atali Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa. To address that, James Moylan of Guam co-sponsored the Combating Human-Trafficking of Innocent Lives Daily (C.H.I.L.D.) Act of 2023, which raises convicted child traffickers’ mandatory minimum jail time from 15 to 25 years.

“Before we left American Samoa, the Governor’s Office presented each of us with a framed ‘warrior’s weapon’—calling us warriors for the missing and abducted children in the territory,” Leon-Baron says.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is the only U.S. territory with an AMBER Alert plan and program coordinator fully in place at the time of this reporting. Their ongoing goal is to continually refine their existing plan and provide a coordinated and sustainable law enforcement response.

AATTAP has been involved in ongoing assistance with Puerto Rico since holding the first in-person training session there in January 2023. Team members delivered the Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training, along with Rescue, Recovery, and Reunification field-training exercises for CART members and other law enforcement in Puerto Rico.

In May 2024, the AATTAP team returned for a needs assessment visit to discuss Puerto Rico’s ongoing challenges, emerging trends, and the training and technical assistance needed to bolster response readiness.

Puerto Rico’s law enforcement leaders intend to continue CART training, Leon-Baron says. They also plan to participate in such courses as AMBER Alert Activation Best Practices (AAABP), Initial Response Strategies & Tactics When Responding to Missing Children Incidents (IRST), and Search and Canvass Operations in Child Abductions (SCOCA).

Southern Border Initiative (Mexico) and Northern Border Initiative (Canada)

AATTAP’s well-established Southern Border Initiative (SBI) is focused on building preparedness for effective response to cases of endangered missing and abducted children in Mexico and the U.S. through cross-border collaboration and planning. Meetings AATTAP has held with federal and state partners in the last two years have underscored the impact of this type of collaboration.

The most recent meeting—held August 1 in Chula Vista, California (across the border from Tijuana, Mexico)—drew more than 100 law enforcement and NGO members who rely on cross-border collaboration to bring missing children safely home. AATTAP piloted a full-day version of its Cross-Border Abduction training, with some participants leaving their homes at 2 a.m. to attend, Leon-Baron says.

AATTAP Associate David Camacho recalled the impact of the event: “We were thankful to have them all there; they had amazing questions, and we reviewed them carefully.”

One conversation “was tough to even consider,” Leon-Baron says. “Some shared with us that in Tijuana, there’s a movement to allow a child of age 9 to consent to sex.”

This is one of many cultural issues that need to be addressed, Leon-Baron says. “We know their laws and judicial processes do not mirror ours. But what does align is our shared commitment to collaboration and cooperation. Thankfully state and federal U.S. and Mexico law enforcement, are developing critically important working relationships.”

The power of relationship-building was especially apparent at an Alerta AMBER Regional Conference in Monterrey, Mexico, hosted by the DOJ’s Overseas Proprietorial Development Assistance and Training Section (OPDAT) in late August 2023.

Mexico's Alerta AMBER for baby Angela was quickly broadcast throughout the country.

As the three-day conference began, a 1-year-old girl, Angela, was abducted August 28 after her parents were murdered during an invasion of their Ciudad Juarez home.

Yubia Yumiko Ayala Narvaez, Regional Coordinator of the Gender-Based Violence Unit/Chihuahua North Prosecutor’s Office, and Mexico’s National AMBER Alert Coordinator, Carlos Morales Rojas, were at the conference. They worked together to release national and state alerts for Angela.

Media and public response to both alerts came swiftly. (See photo above.) By the next day, the kidnappers, likely aware the case was receiving national attention, abandoned Angela in a Ciudad Juarez doorway. A woman found the infant and immediately called 911. And less than 30 hours after the issuance of the state AMBER Alert, the child was safely recovered.

“Narvaez and Rojas met for the first time as they arrived for the conference. This was just one of so many examples of how incredibly important regional events like this are to the ongoing work to build preparedness for effective response to cases of endangered missing and abducted children—in Mexico and the U.S.—through cross-border planning,” Leon-Baron says.

AATTAP’s Northern Border Initiative (NBI) also relies heavily on collaboration between Canadian provinces’ child protection officials and U.S. counterparts. Like Mexico, Canada also has Tribal components. “But the dynamics are different,” Leon-Baron explains. The professionals’ work often involves family abductions of children, either taken into or out of one country to another.

AATTAP visits have included Canadian AMBER Alert Coordinators and members of both the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Tribal law enforcement (such as the St. Regis Mohawk Police Department). And the next NBI event—a focus group meeting—was held this September in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Serbia and Argentina

One of AATTAP’s highest-profile international endeavors was working with officials from the Bureau of Narcotics and International Law Enforcement (INL) and the Republic of Serbia to help that country launch its AMBER Alert-style program “Pronadji Me” (“Find Me”) in June 2023. The AATTAP-INL-New York-Virginia team also advised Bosnia-Herzegovina on their AMBER Alert-style plan.

The meeting, held at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., also featured insight from Virginia and New York child protection officers. Virginia State Police AMBER Alert Coordinators Sergeant Connie Brooks and Lieutenant Robbie Goodrich outlined how their state AMBER Alert activations are decided and disseminated. Additionally, New York State Police AMBER Alert Coordinator Erika Hock, New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse (NYSMPC) Manager Cindy Neff, and NYSMPC Investigative Supervisor Timothy Williams participated virtually to discuss their state’s AMBER Alert program requirements.

In March 2024—nine months after the U.S. meeting—Serbia activated its first “Find Me” Alert after a 2-year-old girl Dana Ilic disappeared in the town of Bor. Television and radio stations interrupted their programs to share details about Dana, including the time and place of her disappearance, and her clothes and age. Citizens also received SMS (short message service) alerts.

“Though Serbia’s first AMBER Alert sadly did not result in Dana’s safe return, the country is learning from the alert’s implementation, which will help other children who go missing,” Rasmussen says.

Serbia’s "Find Me" Alert is modeled on U.S. AMBER Alerts.

Although in-person meetings are always preferred, virtual meetings do have their advantages. Consider AATTAP’s one-day CART Virtual Instructor-Led Training with Argentina—an event in which AATTAP collaborated with the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.

“The response was overwhelming,” Leon-Baron says. “We had hundreds on our call, with many more wanting to join.” AATTAP’s next trainings with Argentina were in October.

Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, and beyond

Meetings with child protection and government officials in the Dominican Republic and U.S. Virgin Islands have been delayed due to hurricanes, but the AATTAP planned to visit this fall.

“Our work is really just beginning,” Rasmussen says. “Now that we’ve assessed the territories’ needs, we plan to go back and help them get their AMBER Alert programs where they need to be. There is a lot of training ahead—focusing on on investigative strategies, first responders, search and rescue teams—and all of it will be informed by the geographical and cultural considerations that we have seen firsthand.”

Rebecca Sherman contributed to this report.

AI-generated photo illustration of two boys in a swampy forest using a cell phone to find help — *Staff illustration*

By Rebecca Sherman

David Boots, Battalion Chief of the Denton, Texas, Fire Department, was at home listening to radio communications when the call went out. It was 8:30 p.m. on June 5, 2024, and the sun was beginning to set. Two teenage boys on bikes were stranded deep inside Denton’s Greenbelt Corridor, a 20-mile, heavily forested nature trail connecting the Ray Roberts Dam with the headwaters of Lake Lewisville.

Chief Boots felt a knot in his stomach. He knew the area well; the department had rescued hikers who had become lost on the trail before, but this time was different. Storms earlier in the week had created treacherous flooding conditions that forced the closure of the Greenbelt.

Getting the teens out in the dark would be difficult and risky, not only for them, but also his rescue teams. Worse still was the news that high winds and torrential rains would soon be barreling in from Oklahoma. “A flooded greenbelt is not a good place to be during a storm,” Boots says.

One photo showing Denton, Texas, Fire Department Battalion Chief David Boots. The other photo showing a flooded section of the north Texas Greenbelt Corridor. — Top left: Denton, Texas, Fire Department Battalion Chief David Boots. Top right: A flooded section of the north Texas Greenbelt Corridor.

Thankfully one of the teens had a cell phone with him. And the Denton Police Department had access to what3words, a revolutionary new geolocation tool.

A Call for Help

The boys’ day had begun well enough, with sunny skies accompanying them on their morning ride to the lake. But after wheeling onto the Greenbelt trail, bypassing closure barriers, they found themselves in dire straits. They had lost their bearings trying to navigate around impassable, and at times impossible to see, pathways to safety. They had no real sense of where they had meandered, or the danger they were in, and needed to be located and brought to safety quickly. Their lives were in danger.

“They got down into swampy water—deep at times—and muddy, with logs covering the trails,” Boots says. The boys had been there for hours. “One of their cell phones went dead,” Boots continues. “When the sun went down, they were well into the Greenbelt and surrounded by water. They knew they were in trouble.”

When the boys called 911, the Denton Police Department Dispatch Center enlisted what3words technology to immediately pinpoint their precise location—as well as the best route to find them. That data was then forwarded to rescue teams.

In the past, the Denton Police Department relied solely on triangulated pings from nearby cell phone towers to get a general idea of where to find missing individuals when mobile devices were involved. And while they could also request helicopter assistance, such resources take time to deploy. Thus, the location data provided by what3words has proven to be invaluable, says Suzanne Kaletta, Assistant Director of Public Communications for the City of Denton. The app’s accuracy has been “a game-changer” since they began using it in 2022, Kaletta says. It has shaved hours from searches involving difficult terrain.

Harrowing Rescue Mission

Racing against time, Boots led more than 20 rescuers who were deployed to find the teens. “We put an ATV in at the halfway point between the lakes, but it couldn’t get to them,” he says. “Another team in an inflatable boat had to paddle the creek upstream to try to get close enough, but debris blocked the way.” The team abandoned the boat and set out on foot, in the dark and through deep, snake-infested waters.

In the summer heat, the rescuers were “soaked to the bone and sweating so much they had trouble holding onto their phones for navigation,” Boots recalls. A drone crew attempted to guide their way, but the forest’s dense tree canopy below made it difficult to spot them.

Rescuers reached the teens at around 11:25 p.m., some three hours after their call to 911. They were hot, wet, tired, and scared—and their ordeal was far from over. A journey with rescuers leading the way back to the boat through swampy floodwaters and nighttime conditions still lay ahead. So did the storm’s approach from the north.

Everyone was on edge as they did the mental countdown of when it would hit. “We knew we had an hour; then just 30 minutes,” Boots says. “We finally got them out with 15 minutes to spare. It was unnervingly close.”

And this much is certain: Without the geolocation assistance from what3words—coupled with the tenacity and skill of the North Texas emergency responders—the boys may not have made it out of the woods.

Photo of boy with arms wrapped around rescuer as he is carried from a pond. Caption for photo reads: The child clung tightly as Deputy Wes Brough carried him to safety. Brough received an email from the boy’s out-of-state relatives who watched the rescue footage. “They said that they could tell how thankful he was by the way he touched my face,” Brough says. — The child clung tightly as Deputy Wes Brough carried him to safety. Brough received an email from the boy’s out-of-state relatives who watched the rescue footage. “They said that they could tell how thankful he was by the way he touched my face,” Brough says.

Photo of Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff's Deputy Wes Brough — Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff's Deputy Wes Brough

By Jody Garlock

Deputy Wes Brough has been in law enforcement for what he matter-of-factly describes as “a crazy” five years. In that short time with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in DeLand, Florida, he has worked AMBER Alerts, saved a teen who was contemplating jumping off a bridge, and, most recently, been hailed a hero for rescuing a missing 5-year-old boy with autism.

In the latter case, the dramatic body-cam footage of Brough running into a large pond to carry the missing child to safety put him in a national spotlight after the video went viral—and showed how dangerously close the story was to a sad outcome.

That August 2024 day remains fresh in his mind. Brough (pronounced “Bruff”) was on routine patrol in Deltona (in east-central Florida) when a 911 call reporting the child missing came in—a call he and other officers were able to hear in real time thanks to a new telecommunication system.

Brough was first on the scene, followed shortly by another officer who helped search the family’s house to confirm the boy wasn’t there. Dispatched officers soon arrived and the search area expanded.

After hearing of a possible sighting of the child behind a nearby home, Brough’s autism awareness training kicked in. Knowing that area had wooded wetlands and that children with autism are drawn to water, Brough took off running. Hurling tree debris and calling the boy’s name as he approached a nearby trail and pond, the breathless deputy would momentarily stop to look for any signs of movement in the water or footprints on the swampy ground.

At first Brough didn’t see any signs of the child. But then the boy, who is nonverbal, made a noise, likely after noticing Brough through the trees. The deputy ran toward the sound, and after spotting the boy in the pond, yelled, “I got him! I got him!” as he ran into the near-waist-high water where the 5-year-old was holding on to a branch. He would soon cling safely to Brough as they made their way back to land. There, as darkness neared, medics checked the boy’s health before he was reunited with his frightened family. The swift recovery was completed about 20 minutes after the 911 call that reported the child missing.

We talked with Brough about the incident and the lessons it may hold for others in law enforcement.

How does it feel to be called a hero?
That’s a big title honestly—especially when anybody in my position would have done the exact same thing. I’m very honored, but I’m staying humble and giving the glory to God for helping me do the right thing in the right moment.

What type of training helped prepare you for such an incident?
We have critical incident training when we come through the sheriff’s office, and it focuses on different types of behavior. We also go through autism awareness training which includes meeting with children with autism and their families who live in our community; it’s very in depth. It covers the dangers a child with autism can face, and understanding the biggest cause of death: drowning. That’s a big factor here in Florida, where there’s so much water. We learn how to interact with children with autism and the different levels of the autism spectrum. We also look at different scenarios that we in law enforcement might face, whether it’s responding to a runaway child or a suspicious person. You never know when the person you’re interacting with may have autism, so being aware, and picking up on social cues, is important.

Are there ways to better engage the public about missing autistic children?
There’s always room for more communication between an agency and the public, especially on a subject like this. An easy way is through social media posts. Also, parents should be encouraged to never hesitate to call 911 if their child goes missing. The boy’s family did a wonderful job of calling as soon as they heard the alarm on their door go off. We’d rather have the call get canceled on the way to search for a missing child instead of being 20 minutes behind the curve.

What lessons did you learn that others could apply—what are your takeaways?
One, a lot of good work gets done when you stay calm under pressure. And two, it’s important to have a sense of urgency. Too often complacency can kick in; you think a missing kid may be at a friend’s house or hiding in a shed. You might walk rather than run. When I picked up the log the boy was holding onto in the water, it broke in half. It was only a matter of time before it broke while he was holding on to it, or that he went out deeper into the water. Hindsight is 20/20, but I’m glad I had the sense of urgency to run from the road to the pond. It was moving with a purpose. There can’t be hesitation when the priority is someone’s life.

By Denise Gee Peacock

National Missing Children’s Day has long been a lodestar for families of missing children—a safe harbor for gathering with child protection professionals who on that day are recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for being at the top of their game.

This year that star shone brighter than ever, largely fueled by the unwavering advocacy work of nearly a dozen surviving family members—including parents and siblings—who have endured the nightmare of a missing child, brother, or sister. Their presence at the May 22 commemoration, and related events, was deeply moving—despite the fact that “all of us belong to a club that no one ever wants to belong to,” says parent survivor Ahmad Rivazfar.

That club’s members include parents and siblings desperate to find their missing loved ones, whose whereabouts remain unknown. They are also families who will forever grieve a child who was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered; families of children illegally taken out of the country by an estranged parent; families who have fortunately been reunited with their once-missing child, but now work to become whole again.

These family survivors’ stories were invaluable to discussions during the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day events. The AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) hosted the family members at the events, with support from the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

The AATTAP-NCJTC team and surviving family members were unified in promoting their work on two updated DOJ resources for parents and families of missing children: When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide (released last year) and the forthcoming sibling-focused survival guide, What About Me? Finding Your Path When Your Brother or Sister Is Missing.

Collaboration for a clearer path forward

The day before the National Missing Children’s Day commemoration, surviving family members paid a visit to the Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Afterward they attended a private AATTAP reception recognizing their contributions to ensuring family members across the nation have access to the latest information and resources.

They also previewed video segments from a filming project completed earlier this year, one in which contributors to the forthcoming What About Me? sibling survival guide shared their insights and advice to illuminate its content for readers. The videos will be offered alongside the sibling guide (after its release later this year) on the Family Survival Guide website.

They also heard from nationally revered parent-advocate and retired AATTAP-NCJTC Associate Patty Wetterling, who was a featured speaker at the event. Wetterling is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted and murdered in 1989. (Read more about her search for him, and her new book, Dear Jacob, here—and an excerpt from her Missing Children’s Day talk below.) Wetterling also helped update the new edition of the Family Survival Guide, released in 2023.

During the session, the family members discussed their experiences with being a part of these survival guide projects, along with their ongoing needs and goals as surviving family members who have experienced a missing child or sibling.

They also offered OJJDP and AATTAP leaders recommendations on ways to best support families and more broadly promote awareness and distribution of critically important resources for families, law enforcement, and child advocates.

Following through on a commitment made by OJJDP Administrator Ryan last year during her impactful meeting with the Family Survival Guide contributors at the conclusion of the Missing Children’s Day ceremony, this year’s event included an inaugural, private Family Roundtable discussion with sibling guide family contributors.

Commemoration highlights

Each year, the DOJ honors agencies, organizations, law enforcement officials, and others whose exemplary and heroic efforts have helped recover missing children and prosecute those who harm them.

“Our commemoration is taking a new format this year,” Ryan explained. “OJJDP decided not only to highlight the tremendous work of those who protect children, but also address the challenges in this work—to learn more about issues involving missing kids, and hold in-depth conversations with youth and families of missing and murdered children and other experts on these topics.”

After the commemoration, a cadre of experts, including a youth advocate with lived experience in the foster care system, joined a panel discussion on why so many children and young adults go missing from care. “They will suggest ways to improve collaboration and ensure the well-being of these children,” Ryan said. She next recognized members of the Family Roundtable—parents, siblings and others with a loved one who has gone missing. “Each of them has contributed to two very important [survival] documents.”

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide was announced at the 2023 Missing Children’s Day event. The new fifth edition provides a wider range of missing child situations; gives families instant access to information online; and allows them to hear advice and encouragement from the parents themselves, who speak in powerful videos.

As was the case with the Family Survival Guide, the What About Me? project was developed by AATTAP’s publications team with guidance and oversight from the OJJDP. Both initiatives were stewarded by Helen Connelly, retired FVTC-NCJTC Program Administrator who continues to share her expertise as an Associate employee.

Looking back—and ahead

“As you know thousands of children go missing in the U.S. every year,” Ryan said. “While most are safely recovered, others are found deceased and never identified. Currently there are more than 1,000 children whose remains have been found, but have not been identified. We want to help name them, and return them to their families, communities, and loved ones.”

The OJJDP and NCMEC, with support from the DOJ—and training and technical assistance from the AATTAP and NCJTC—will work with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify these children, Ryan explained, adding, “they deserve no less.”

The forthcoming sibling survival guide, What About Me?, will help a missing child’s siblings understand the emotional turmoil surrounding the crisis as well as the search process. It will offer trusted advice and firsthand insight into what to expect; tips for managing self-care and family dynamics; and guidance on how to deal with law enforcement, the courts, and the media.

Photo of two women with this caption: Patty Wetterling (right) greets NCMEC’s Director of Special Projects Sherry Bailey during the family survivors’ visit to NCMEC headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. — Patty Wetterling (right) greets NCMEC’s Director of Special Projects Sherry Bailey during the family survivors’ visit to NCMEC headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune welcomed parent-advocate Patti Wetterling to speak, recognizing her as “a longtime friend and a personal source of inspiration.”

“Her son, Jacob, who went missing when he was 11 years old, was abducted near their home in Minnesota,” DeLaune said. “Patty has given her life to advocating for her son. She’s raised a beautiful family. And she’s a fierce mother, one who changes this world with every person she speaks to.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Amy L. Solomon added, “We’re so honored that you could be with us today, Patty. We’re indebted to you for your years of advocacy on behalf of missing children, and for the work you continue to do to claim a brighter future for our children.”

What follows is an excerpt of Wetterling’s remarks given at this year’s National Missing Children’s Day commemoration.

I want to thank you, Liz Ryan, for meeting with this amazing group. [Wetterling gestures to the family-survivor group attending the ceremony.] I belong over there with you, my heart is with you, and we draw strength from you. I also want to thank everybody at NCMEC and the DOJ. You save lives. You saved mine.

National Missing Children’s Day is a time to shine a light on a dark topic. When my son, Jacob, was kidnapped, I knew nothing about crimes against children. ‘Who would do that?’ I cried, ‘Who would harm a child?’ It is an unimaginable pain.

After a few days, sleep deprived and depressed, I crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head, deciding I’m never gonna get out of bed again. It’s too hard. It hurts too much. I can’t do it. But with tears streaming down my face, I suddenly saw Jacob curled up in a ball somewhere saying the same thing. ‘I can’t do this anymore. It’s too hard. They’re never going to find me.’

Screaming, I got up and said, ‘Hold on Jacob, we will find you! But you have to stay strong!’ I got out of bed. That decision to get out of bed was the first of many choices that I had to make.

That was in the early days, and in the 34 years that have followed, I decided I couldn’t live in the darkness. I chose to seek light instead. I chose to fight for the world that Jacob knew and loved—a world that was fair, kind, and safe for kids.

When I was given the phone number for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I learned so much about the problem—how many children were missing and exploited, and what we all needed to do to bring them home. Most kids come home because somebody is aware of their abduction. They look at the pictures. And if they see something unusual about a child, or a child in a bad situation, they trust their instincts and call the police.

We tried to make sure everybody got Jacob’s pictures. We had to mail out pictures back in 1989. We sent them all over. My favorite story was when a couple was traveling from Minnesota to Florida and thought they saw Jacob. They recognized the picture and said, ‘He was with a man who’s very thin, and he didn’t look like he wanted to be with this guy.’ But they didn’t know who to call. So eventually they called the FBI in Minneapolis. When they described the man that this boy was with, the FBI agent knew who they were talking about…and caught up with him in Flagstaff, Arizona. And clearly [the child they found with him] wasn’t Jacob.

But at least one 12-year-old boy got to go home because somebody was aware of the problem. They looked at the pictures and took that extra step of being there for the child. In those 34 years since Jacob was kidnapped, I’ve learned we are stronger when we collectively pool ideas and resources through Team HOPE and the family and sibling survival guides, we support each other and offer assistance to other families walking down this difficult path.

We have to keep missing children in our hearts until we can hold them in our arms again.

We are all the hope for all missing children, as well as all children who are home safe today.

We can never give up hope.

And together, we can, and we will, build a safer world for all of our children.

Three photos representing successful recovery of children who were subjects of a MAILE AMBER Alert, plus a photo of searchers walking on a beach in Hawaii. — Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth’s social media post showed his gratitude for the safe recovery of a 15-year-old who was abducted from a beach (where searchers are seen). A news report and an alert poster spread the good news—located, canceled—on two other MAILE AMBER Alert cases.

By Jody Garlock

When the Honolulu Police Department issued a MAILE AMBER Alert in February 2024 for two brothers whose mother reported them missing and in potential danger, not even HPD officers could have predicted such a swift recovery. Within five minutes of the alert’s distinct alarm sounding on cellphones across Oahu Island, the mother’s former boyfriend said he would surrender the 10- and 11-year-old boys in a gas station parking lot. The case serves as a testament to the power of AMBER Alerts—or, as it’s called in Hawaii, the MAILE AMBER Alert, named in memory of 6-year-old Maile Gilbert (see “Three for three: lessons learned,” below) who was abducted and murdered in 1985, prior to the alert’s existence.

“With alert activations in a state like Hawaii with an isolated population, we find that abductors may feel the pressure to turn themselves in after either seeing the alert or being told there is one,” says Amanda Leonard, coordinator of the Missing Child Center Hawaii and statewide MAILE AMBER Alert Coordinator. Additionally, as in this case, local news reports stated that customers at the gas station who received the alert had promptly called in sightings to police.

Soon after police arrived at the scene, the mother and her boys were able to drive away safely in the gray Honda Odyssey. The van belonged to the mother, who had given the former boyfriend permission to use it and take the boys on an errand. When he failed to return the children and stopped answering her calls after an argument, she contacted police. A subsequent report of a family member learning the man had struck one of the boys in the face, and therefore they may be in danger, escalated the case to meet the criteria for a MAILE AMBER Alert. The 54-year-old suspect was not immediately charged.

This recent case is the latest in a string of MAILE AMBER Alerts in a state that historically has had none. And for Leonard, it also serves as an example of the importance of public awareness and quick-thinking citizens willing to be an extra set of eyes to help keep children safe.

“Part of our culture here is really about family and children,” Leonard says. “We pride ourselves in not just looking out for our own children, but other people’s children in our community.”

Case by case

Hawaii put its MAILE AMBER Alert system in place in 2005, becoming the final state to join the nationwide AMBER Alert program. In a ceremony with Hawaiian officials, Tracy Henke, who at the time was Acting Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, called the establishment of statewide AMBER Alert plans in all 50 states “a landmark achievement that makes America’s children safer.”

Just four months later, the state had its first activation. In that case, a 4-month-old baby was safely recovered in Honolulu thanks to an attentive delivery truck driver. The driver had received a message about the missing infant from his dispatcher after an office worker saw the alert. (This was before the text-like wireless emergency alerts, or WEAs, began appearing on phones in subsequent years.) He spotted the stolen pickup truck, which had been abandoned with the infant safe inside.

Seventeen years then went by without any MAILE AMBER Alerts. Leonard speculates that had more to do with a lack of understanding about the program than about no cases meeting the criteria for issuing an alert. So when she began working at the Missing Child Center in 2018, she made it her mission to build relationships and enhance the education and training—including monthly tests of the system—with the state’s four county police departments. (In January, Hawaii’s statewide police force became operational; it stems from a 2022 bill then-Governor David Ige signed into law in an effort to allow more efficient and effective emergency response.) The MAILE AMBER Alert program will remain under the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General.

“We started to really revamp and aggressively work on improving our program with the help of the National Criminal Justice Training Center [NCJTC],” Leonard says.

Photo of two women standing in front of MAILE AMBER Alert signage. Caption for photo: “My joy is really for a family, knowing that they’re going to get the news that their child has been recovered alive,” says Amanda Leonard (right) coordinator of the Missing Child Center Hawaii and statewide MAILE AMBER Alert Coordinator. “That makes all the really tough stuff we do on a daily basis worth it.” She’s shown with program assistant Leina Diamond in front of their MAILE AMBER Alert signage. — “My joy is really for a family, knowing that they’re going to get the news that their child has been recovered alive,” says Amanda Leonard (right) coordinator of the Missing Child Center Hawaii and statewide MAILE AMBER Alert Coordinator. “That makes all the really tough stuff we do on a daily basis worth it.” She’s shown with program assistant Leina Diamond in front of their MAILE AMBER Alert signage.

Preparedness pays off

In September 2022, authorities faced their most dramatic case—a rare stranger abduction that garnered national attention. This marked the first MAILE AMBER Alert on Hawaii Island, and also was the first time the state used a WEA to alert the public. A 15-year-old girl who was at a beach on the Big Island was forced at knifepoint to tie up her boyfriend and was led through a wooded area and across lava fields to the abductor’s vehicle. The man took her to his home on the opposite side of the island some 70 miles away, where he chained her up in an old school bus on the property.

As a massive air and ground search, which included volunteers from the community who galvanized after receiving the MAILE AMBER Alert, continued the next day, the teen convinced her abductor to take her to a café in the nearby town of Hilo to get something to eat. The café host felt something seemed off when he first spotted the duo, then it clicked: “That’s the AMBER Alert girl!” he yelled as he rushed to grab the girl from the man’s grasp and safely whisk her to a back room in the café.

Another person began taking photos as the abductor fled in his SUV. A few hours later, authorities arrested 52-year-old Duncan Mahi, who witnesses identified in a photo lineup. Mahi remains in custody as he awaits trial for charges that include kidnapping and sexual assault.

“It was really incredible,” Leonard says of the two citizens who were dubbed the “Hilo Heroes.” When Leonard asked them what gave them the courage to intervene knowing the man was armed, they both said they felt compelled by the MAILE AMBER Alert. “The café host said he responded in the way he would want someone else to respond if it had been his little sister or cousin,” she says. “It was definitely a testament to the power of the program and the Big Island community.”

On the heels of that case, about five months later the Maui Police Department issued its first MAILE AMBER Alert. In February 2023, an island-wide alert was disseminated for a 3-month-old boy whose mother had fled with him after the father was granted sole legal and physical custody. Shortly after the alert was issued around 2 a.m., authorities received a tip on the whereabouts of the mother, who was wanted for custodial interference and was in violation of a temporary restraining order between herself and the child. The baby was safely recovered.

“We have a 100 percent success rate so far—knock on wood,” Leonard says. “When you look at these three consecutive alerts, I think it shows we’re on the right track.”

Partnering for a cause

For Leonard, the fact that Hawaii has had an increased number of alerts—with about 300 recoveries a year when factoring in other types of missing children cases—is a direct correlation to increased education and training. “The criteria for issuing a MAILE AMBER Alert did not change—it was the program development that we’ve worked on since 2018 that changed,” she says.

Leonard considers partnerships with organizations such as the NCJTC a key to success. National and regional NCJTC meetings have provided training by national experts, the ability to meet survivors from across the country, and valuable networking.

“We wouldn’t be able to be successful without those partnerships and being able to meet other folks who have our jobs in other states,” she adds. “It’s been absolutely instrumental.”

She also praises the dedication of law enforcement authorities and those working on behalf of children who consider their work a lifestyle and a calling more than a job.

“There’s no better feeling than getting a call that a child has been safely located alive,” Leonard says. “It makes me feel like we have one of the most important jobs in our state.”

Photo of Maile Gilbert — *Maile Leilani Gilbert (1979–1985)*

The “MAILE” acronym in Hawaii’s AMBER Alert program is in memory of 6-year-old Maile Gilbert, who was abducted by a family acquaintance from her Kailua home and murdered in August 1985. MAILE stands for “Minor Abducted in Life-threatening Emergency.”

Hawaii opted to add a local connection to the national AMBER Alert program—created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman. Amber’s 1996 abduction and murder in Arlington, Texas, sparked nationwide efforts to prevent future incidents.

California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Ken Roberts stands with a CHP challenge coin--in front of his collection of challenge coins. — *California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Ken Roberts, who started the CHP's challenge coin program, stands near a collection of special coins.*

By Jody Garlock

California Highway Patrol challenge coin in its display case — *A California Highway Patrol (CHP) AMBER Alert challenge coin is shown in its display case. The CHP has activated more than 320 AMBER Alerts since the state plan’s origins in 2002.*

Challenge coins—insignia medallions traditionally awarded to law enforcement and the military—have held special meaning to California Highway Patrol (CHP) Assistant Chief Ken Roberts ever since learning about a World War II pilot who used his medallion to prove his identity after being shot down. After Roberts became a section commander with oversight of the state’s AMBER Alert program about four years ago, he introduced challenge coins as a way to honor law enforcement personnel who proved instrumental in helping solve child abduction cases.

Without the necessary funding to facilitate the project—meant to boost morale in the CHP’s Counterterrorism and Threat Awareness (CTTA) Section in Sacramento—Roberts spent $1,000 of his own money to create AMBER Alert challenge coins that honor officers and allied partners for going above and beyond in their duties to recover abducted children. Commending the AMBER Alert work from among his section’s varied efforts was easy: “It’s one of the most nationally recognized alerts, and it hits the heartstrings,” Roberts says.

CHP Lieutenant Justin Howlett, who has overseen the program in recent times, says the coins are an exclusive honor, not something casually bestowed or shared.

Since the program’s inception, each year only two or three people or agencies have received the “Recognition of Excellence”—typically fewer than half of the cases that required an AMBER Alert activation. “It’s genuine gratitude,” Howlett says of the CHP AMBER Alert program’s highest honor, only bestowed on personnel actively involved in an AMBER Alert case.

Photo of two people holding AMBER Alert challenge coins from the California Highway Patrol. — From left: Tanea Parmenter, Idaho’s AMBER Alert Coordinator, and Detective Sam Kuoha of the Rupert (Idaho) Police Department show off their California Highway Patrol (CHP) AMBER Alert challenge coins. Parmenter helped Kuoha investigate and activate resources that led California officers to locate a missing girl. It was the Rupert department’s first AMBER Alert.

In one case that involved a cross-border collaboration, an Idaho teen believed to be a victim of human trafficking was safely recovered in California after an AMBER Alert was initiated in her home state. CHP personnel who helped recover the girl from an interstate rest stop near Truckee, California, were awarded, as were Idaho State Police AMBER Alert Coordinator/Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager Tanea Parmenter and Rupert (Idaho) Police Department Detective Sam Kuoha.

The shiny gold coins bearing the AMBER Alert logo aren’t merely tokens for display. They can help provide closure in child abduction cases, which are some of the most difficult in law enforcement. They also are a source of pride that extends beyond the office or patrol vehicle.

Howlett and Roberts recount the story of an officer whose teenage son teared up after seeing his dad’s challenge coin—and realizing his dad helped save children. “The officer said that was the best feeling ever—to have his son say how proud he was of him,” Roberts says.

While some organizations informally share their coins, the CHP is selective to ensure that “when we give them, it means something,” Roberts says. Award presentations are low key to avoid seeming like it’s being done for the publicity. “We keep it very internal so it feels personal,” Howlett adds.

Roberts credits his officers’ support for creating the challenge coin recognition. One of them even handled the coin’s design. “They were the catalyst; I was just the means to make it happen,” Roberts says. “It’s not a heavy lift to do something like this, as long as you set a few parameters.”

For Howlett, the program has proven well worth the administrative time. “It’s something that has value to us, and it has value to the people who receive the coins,” he says.

By Denise Gee Peacock

Michael Jude Nixon’s middle name is his mother’s homage to Saint Jude, “the patron saint of hope and hopeless causes,” Nixon says. “She had a rough time during her pregnancy with me, and found comfort in prayer,” he says. “Thankfully everything turned out OK.”

And thankfully for those in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, Nixon has devoted his life to serving people in need of hope—people facing hopeless causes.

“My family taught me to recognize a higher purpose in life,” says Nixon, who retired five years ago as a detective with the Beaumont Police Department, where he worked for almost 16 years and was the department’s AMBER Alert Coordinator.

Nixon now serves in two broader-ranging law enforcement capacities. Since 2020 he has held the role of Region 12 Missing Person Alert Coordinator for the Texas Department of Public Safety. (Region 12, comprising six counties in the Beaumont area, is home to about 500,000 people in southeastern Texas near southern Louisiana.)

Since 2020, Nixon has worked as Assistant Director and Training Coordinator for the Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) Regional Police Academy in Beaumont. And on the national front, he recently joined Team Adam, a seasoned group of law enforcement professionals tapped for rapid deployment by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to investigate missing child cases.

Nixon’s path into law enforcement followed a decade of doing manual labor for the City of Beaumont.

The first half of that chapter was working in water maintenance for five years, and for the next five “dealing with alligators, snakes, you name it” as an animal control officer. The arduous, all-hours work “was difficult, but important,” he says. “It just didn’t pay enough to help me make ends meet” for his young family, and kept him from home a lot.

Some friends at the Beaumont Police Department encouraged him to join the BPD.

But then came Hurdle One. “Initially, I was provided a job offer, but it was rescinded after they learned I had a GED instead of a high school diploma.” (Nixon earned a GED at 18 after enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve.) Undaunted, he returned to high school at age 32 and received that diploma. That allowed him to train at LIT and join the BPD in 2004.

Next came Hurdle Two: navigating the traumas associated with crimes against children—from child abuse to sex trafficking cases, which he was responsible for investigating for much of his BPD career.

The way he managed to cope (see “Take 5” section below) now informs his Regional Police Academy training work at LIT. It also has spurred him to continue expanding his horizons for both personal and professional growth. In December 2023 he earned his Associate of Science degree in criminal justice from LIT, and currently is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the discipline from Lamar University.

We recently caught up with Nixon so we could learn more about his work experiences—and also glean his advice that others could apply to their work lives.

How did your world change after becoming a police officer? Working for the water department and as an animal control officer prepared me well. I saw the downside of humanity in those roles, and it was humbling. That makes you a more empathetic person. I was able to carry that over into law enforcement. I realized that everybody I encountered was somebody’s child, somebody’s parent, somebody’s loved one. I credit that to my mom’s influence. She taught me to be nice to people, even if you can’t do anything else to help.

Photograph of Texas Department of Public Safety Regional AMBER Alert Coordinators John Graham, left, and Michael Nixon, right — Michael Nixon and fellow Texan John Graham, a law enforcement veteran and Region 2 AMBER Alert Coordinator, share mutual respect. “If my child was abducted, Mike is who I’d want leading the investigation,” Graham says.

What were some challenges you faced in your law enforcement work? Earning people’s trust, for one. Also, getting them to talk. Many small-town communities that have been mistreated or ignored by law enforcement have built up a wall, a mentality of ‘us versus them.’ That wall has to be continually torn down by both cops and citizens, Black and White alike. That’s because any national incident of police brutality will overshadow hundreds if not thousands of positive incidents, so it’s an uphill battle that we have to learn from. It doesn’t do us any good to be overzealous or condescending. As my mother always said, ‘You can catch more flies with honey.’ And when someone extends an olive branch, take it. I made an effort to go to park events and parades, to meet people on their level. We may not be welcomed at first—or the second time or third time—but we shouldn’t give up.

How did that affect cases involving missing children? When a community doesn’t trust law enforcement they’ll think they can solve a problem faster and more effectively on their own—of not getting the police involved. That’s especially true because most AMBER Alerts we handle are family-related and not stranger abductions, so people figure an outsider won’t be much help. I’ve had to work hard to convince them that I’m on their side. One challenge comes when children have been lured into sex trafficking. You have about four seconds to make a positive impression before they close their minds to you. Most have been told not to trust law enforcement; to be afraid that a cop will victimize them.

Do you cross paths with some of the children you helped over the years? I see a lot of them quite frequently, but very few know who I am. That’s by design; our child advocacy center is their true liaison. But their parents tend to know who I am. Often they’re people I grew up with. And sometimes they’ve come to me for guidance. I feel good when I can help.

Take 5: Ways to keep stress in check

Dealing with the disturbing realities of child protection work is a major stressor for law enforcement. “So many of us compartmentalize all the things we see,” Michael Nixon says. “We tell everybody that we’re fine when we’re not.” Here is some of his hard-won wisdom.

Share your feelings with a trusted friend or professional. “Around the time of my retirement, everything I’d dealt with over the years was causing me to have sleepless nights, to feel anxious. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I decided to talk with a therapist. He helped me see I was finally ‘man enough’ to admit the issues I was having. That’s why I tell our police academy cadets, ‘If you’re not feeling well, talk to someone,’ Nixon says. “It also helps to talk with colleagues who’ve had the same experiences as you.”

Leave work at work. “One of the best decisions I ever made was never talking with my family about any bad things that I had seen during the day. The boogeyman is not welcome at my house.”

Do a wellness check—on yourself. “Everyone—but especially those in law enforcement—should practice self-care,” Nixon says. “Find a way to step back, take a deep breath, and decompress. For instance, in an active shooter situation, we may run on adrenaline until there’s a break in the action. That’s when we’re supposed to check ourselves for wounds we may not be aware of. The same goes for investigating crimes against children. Check yourself every 12 hours to ensure you’re OK.”

Fortify your body and mind. “I found strength, and stress relief, by going to the gym each day, or working on some property I own in the country, clearing trees and that sort of thing. This kind of exercise can make you stronger physically and mentally.”

Don’t be afraid to cry. “Shedding tears is a body’s way of cleansing itself after a traumatic situation,” Nixon says. “Whenever you need some relief, find an empty office, or go sit in your car, and do what you need to do to lift that weight from your shoulders. Doing that will help you move forward.”

“Most people will experience a traumatic incident maybe five to seven times in their entire life. Meantime, a cop may experience a traumatic incident five to seven times a shift.”

Michael Nixon

By Denise Gee Peacock

The work of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and its Minnesota-based partners was front-page news this week in the state’s largest newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The June 9, 2024, article—entitled “Amber Alerts help avert nightmares: State’s system finds kids, builds on success”—was written by reporter Kim Hyatt.

“AMBER Alert finds missing children with efficiency, spreading lifesaving information statewide in an instant and leading to swift recoveries,” Hyatt reports. “Since Minnesota launched the program in 2002, all but one of the 46 children subject of the alerts here were safely recovered—most within the same day.”

The state’s success with AMBER Alert “does not mean the system is static,” Hyatt noted. “It continues to improve through training and by spreading to new communities 22 years after it was initiated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).”

Photo of AATTAP-AIIC team with Minnesota Tribes and law enforcement during a Technology Toolkits presentation in May 2023. — The AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) team provided free Technology Toolkits to Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Tribes in May 2023. The AIIC was created after passage of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, which provides training and technical assistance to Tribes to foster stronger and faster communication and with regional, state, and federal law enforcement partners.

The article includes these highlights:

Since inception of the state’s AMBER Alert program in 2002, 46 children have been the focus of AMBER Alerts. Nearly half of those children (22) were safely recovered in less than three hours. One child, Alayna Ertl, was not able to be safely recovered.
In 2013, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to successfully send AMBER Alerts to cellphones, which led to the quick recovery of a baby in Minneapolis.
The state’s most recent AMBER Alert was the first to be issued by a Minnesota Tribe (the Red Lake Tribal Police). The alert led to the successful recovery of a missing 3-year-old child.
Interviews with two native (and current) Minnesotans who not only have made significant impacts in Minnesota, but in the nation—and beyond:
- Patty Wetterling, a longtime advocate for missing children. She is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted at age 11 on October 22, 1989, by a masked gunman near their home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. (Jacob’s remains were found nearly 27 years after his abduction, and his abductor charged with murder.) Wetterling co-founded and is past director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s counseling network Team HOPE, and has shared countless victim impact sessions with law enforcement across the U.S.—much of them for the AATTAP and its parent organization, the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College. (Read more about Wetterling’s work for U.S. Department of Justice resource, When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide, and her new book, Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope.)
- Child protection expert Janell Rasmussen. Rasmussen serves as Administrator of the AATTAP, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement throughout the United States and its territories, Indian Country, and abroad. Early in Rasmussen’s career she worked as AMBER Alert Coordinator for the Minnesota BCA—and became a good friend of the Wetterling family. Read more about her AATTAP work here.
Insight into the state’s AMBER Alert work from BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “There’s only so many law enforcement officers that are out working at any given time. Yet we have nearly six million Minnesotans that can be our eyes and ears out in the community, and everybody has a vested interest in recovering our children,” he told the Star Tribune. (Note: The Star Tribune reported that access to AMBER Alerts is spreading to new communities, but everyone in the state has had the ability to request AMBER Alerts since the state plan was created in 2002.)

Photo showing Patty Wetterling (second from right), Janell Rasmussen (far right), Donna Norris (mother of Amber Hagerman, center), U.S. DOJ Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels (second from left), and abduction survivor Tamara Brooks (far left) at the first national AMBER Alert Conference in 2003. — At the first national AMBER Alert Conference in 2003, Patty Wetterling (second from right) and Janell Rasmussen (far right) are photographed with Donna Norris (center), the mother of AMBER Alert namesake Amber Hagerman. Also shown are then-U.S. DOJ Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels (second from left), and abduction survivor Tamara Brooks (far left). “There’s strength in the resilience of these searching parents,” Wetterling told the *Star Tribune*. Rasmussen notes that when this photograph was taken, she was pregnant with her daughter, who is expected to graduate next year with a degree in criminal justice.

Group photo of AATTAP-NCJTC-family survivors at the 2024 National Missing Children's Day commemoration in Washington, DC.

Participants at the OJJDP Family Survivor Roundtable Discussion in 2024

Alternate view of OJJDP-AATTAP-NCTJC roundtable meeting with family survivors

Photo of sibling survivor Heather talking at the Family Roundtable Discussion at OJJDP headquarters in 2024

Dr. Noelle Hunter and Jeffery Morehouse at the OJJDP Family Survivor Roundtable Discussion

AATTAP team members and family survivors await of the start of the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day event at the U.S. Department of Justice Great Hall on May 22 in Washington D.C.

AATTAP team members and family survivors pose for a selfie before the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day commemoration.

AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen congratulates the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day poster winner, Hanna L., a fifth grader from Chesnee, South Carolina. She and Hanna are shown with Hanna’s mother (back) and South Carolina AMBER Alert Coordinator Alex Schelble (right).

Photo of the winning poster with this quote from the South Carolina fifth grader, Hanna L., who created it: "Those who help bring back missing children change the whole picture completely."

Family survivors Dr. Noelle Hunter (right) and her daughter, Rysa, are shown during a group visit to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

Also photographed during the NCMEC visit were (from left) sibling survivor Heather, family survivor Yvonne Ambrose, and sibling survivor Kimber.

AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen (standing) welcomes family survivors and others to a reception in honor of the forthcoming sibling-survivor resource, What About Me?

14. NCJTC Executive Director Brad Russ (right) shares a hug with parent survivor and longtime advocate for missing children, Patty Wetterling, during the AATTAP reception.

Shown at the reception for family survivors are (from left): NCJTC Executive Director Brad Russ, AATTAP Special Projects Associate Helen Connelly, AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen, AATTAP Deputy Administrator Jenniffer Price-Lehmann, and AATTAP Project Coordinator Yesenia “Jesi” Leon-Baron.

From left: Family survivor Ahmad Rivazfar converses with AATTAP Project Coordinator Yesenia “Jesi” Leon-Baron and sibling survivor Heather at the reception.

Parent survivor Patty Wetterling (left) shares a moment with another mother who lost a child to abduction and murder: Pamela Foster. Foster is the mother of Ashlynne Mike, whose 2016 abduction and murder on the Navajo Nation Reservation in New Mexico led to the creation of the 2018 Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act—and AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative.

By Denise Gee Peacock

At the 41st National Missing Children’s Day commemoration May 22, 2024 in Washington, D.C., staff members from the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program and National Criminal Justice Training Center accompanied family members of missing children who have helped produce two multimedia resources for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide and the forthcoming What About Me? Finding Your Path When Your Brother or Sister Is Missing.

On the day before the Missing Children’s Day commemoration, the AATTAP-hosted family members paid a visit to the Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Afterward they attended an AATTAP reception recognizing them for their contributions to ensuring family members across the nation have access to the latest information and resources. They also were shown highlights of videos that will be featured on the Family Survival Guide website along with the publication once released. (Stay tuned to The AMBER Advocate for more details.)

Recognition and collaboration for better understanding—and a clear path forward

During the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony, the group received thanks for their efforts from U.S. Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon, OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan, and NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune—as well as attendee applause when they were asked to stand for recognition. They also heard from nationally revered parent-advocate and retired AATTAP-NCJTC Associate Patty Wetterling, who was a featured speaker at the event. Patty is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted and murdered in 1989. (Read more about her search for him, and her new book, Dear Jacob, here.) Wetterling also helped update the new Family Survival Guide.

Following through on a commitment made by OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan last year during her impactful meeting with the Family Survival Guide contributors at the conclusion of the Missing Children’s Day ceremony, this year’s event included an inaugural, private Family Roundtable meeting during which both Family Survival Guide and Sibling Guide family members discussed their experiences with being a part of these projects, their ongoing needs and goals as surviving family members who have experienced a missing child or sibling, and offered OJJDP and AATTAP leaders recommendations on ways to best support families and more broadly promulgate awareness and distribution of these and other critically important resources for family, law enforcement, community and child advocates.

“The AATTAP was honored to be invited by Administrator Ryan and other OJJDP leadership to facilitate a discussion with the families of missing and murdered children. We discussed ways to improve law enforcement response, preparedness, family support and protecting children. Bringing the important perspectives of both parents and siblings, they bravely and earnestly offered their personal stories and messages of hope for those facing the same unthinkable situation.”

Janell Rasmussen
Administrator, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program

Commemoration highlights

Each year, the Justice Department also honors agencies, organizations, law enforcement officials, and others whose exemplary heroic efforts to help recover missing children and prosecute people who harm them.

“Our commemoration is taking a new format this year,” Ryan said. “OJJDP decided not only to highlight the tremendous work of law enforcement others in efforts to protect children, but also to take this opportunity to address the challenge is in this work— to learn more about issues related to missing kids, and hold in depth conversations with youth and families of missing and murdered children and other experts on these related topics.”

Following the commemoration, a cadre of experts, including a youth advocate with lived experience in the foster care system, participated in a panel discussion on the reasons why so many children and young adults go missing from care. “They will suggest ways we can improve collaboration and to ensure the health and well-being of these children,” Ryan explained.

Ryan next recognized “members of family roundtable—parents, siblings and other family members with a loved one who has gone missing. They know firsthand the torment, confusion and emotional exhaustion of losing a child,” she said. “They lived it and they have channeled that sorrow into resources to helping others. Each of the family roundtable members here today has contributed to two important guidance documents."

When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide was announced at the 2023 Missing Children’s Day event. The new fifth edition provides a wider range of missing child situations; gives families immediate access to information via its online format; and allows them to hear parents’ advice and encouragement from the parents themselves, who speak directly to them through powerful videos.

As was the case with the Family Survival Guide project, the What About Me? project was developed by AATTAP’s publications team with guidance and oversight from the OJJDP. And both projects where shepherded by Helen Connelly, a former program administrator for Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC)—home to AATTAP and the NCJTC.

The new sibling survival guide will help a missing child’s siblings understand both the emotional turmoil surrounding the crisis and the ongoing search for their sibling. It will offer advice and resources; tips on self-care, mental health, and family dynamics; guidance on dealing with law enforcement, the media, and court; first-hand insight on what to expect and how to cope.

Looking back—and ahead

This year marks the 40th anniversary of NCMEC, which has contributed to the safe recovery of more than 400,000 missing children.

Additionally, the OJJDP is celebrating 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The law that established our office OJJDP has supported youth and families across the nation, providing federal funds owing to states, territories, Tribes, and communities to protect children prevent delinquency and transform juvenile justice systems.”

“As you know thousands of children go missing in the U.S. every year,” Ryan said. “While most are safely recovered, others are found deceased and never identified. Currently there are more than 1,000 children whose remains have been found, but have not been identified. We want to help name them and return them to their families, communities and loved ones.”

Wetterling to DOJ & NCMEC: ‘You Save Lives. You Saved Mine.’

NCMEC President and CEO Michelle DeLaune welcomed Patti Wetterling to speak, recognizing her as “a longtime friend and a personal source of inspiration.”

“Her son, Jacob, who went missing when he was 11 years old, was abducted near their home in Minnesota,” she said. “Patty has given her life to advocating for her son. She has raised a beautiful family. She is a fierce mother and has changed this world with every person she speaks to.”

“We're so honored that you could be with us today,” added Attorney General Solomon. “We’re indebted to you for your years of advocacy on behalf of missing children and for the work that you continue to do to claim a brighter future for our children.”

The following is an excerpt of Wetterling’s remarks at the 2024 National Missing Children’s Day event:

I want to thank you, Liz Ryan, for meeting with the group, this amazing group. [She gestures to the families group attending the ceremony.] I belong over there with you, my heart is with you, and we draw strength from you. And I also want to thank everybody at NCMEC and the DOJ. You save lives, you saved mine.

National Missing Children's Day is an amazing time to shine a light on a dark topic. When my son Jacob was kidnapped, I knew nothing about crimes against children. ‘Who would do that?’ I cried! ‘Who would harm a child?’ It is an unimaginable pain.

After a few days, sleep deprived and depressed, I crawled into bed and pull the covers over my head and decided I'm never gonna get out of bed again. It's too hard. It hurts too much. I can't do it. With tears streaming down my face, I suddenly saw Jacob curled up in a ball somewhere saying the same thing. “I can't do this anymore. It's too hard. They're never going to find me.”

Screaming I got up and said, ‘Hold on Jacob, we will find you! But you have to stay strong!’

I got out of bed. That decision to get out of bed was the first of many choices that we made. And for me, it was in the early days—and 34 years that have followed—I decided I couldn’t live in the darkness, and I chose to seek light. Instead, I chose to fight for the world that Jacob knew and loved—a world that was fair and kind and safe for kids.

When I was given that phone number for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I learned so much about the problem; how many children were missing and exploited and what we all needed to do to bring them home. Most kids come home because somebody is aware of their abduction. They look at the pictures. And if they see something unusual about a child, or a child in a bad situation, they trust their instincts and call the police.

We tried to make sure everybody got Jacob’s pictures. We had to mail pictures out back in 1989. We sent them all over. But my favorite story was when a couple was traveling from Minnesota to Florida, and they thought they saw Jacob. They recognized the picture and said, ‘He was with a man who's very thin and he didn’t look like he wanted to be with this guy.’ But they didn't know who to call. So eventually they called the FBI in Minneapolis. When they described the man that this boy was with the FBI agent knew who they were talking about… they caught up with him in Flagstaff, Arizona. And clearly [the child they found with him] wasn't Jacob.

But one 12-year-old boy got to go home because somebody was aware of the problem. They looked at the pictures and they took that extra step of being there for the child. In those 34 years since Jacob was kidnapped, I've learned that collectively, we are strong when we pool ideas and resources. Through Team HOPE and the family and sibling survival guides. We support each other and offer assistance to other families walking down this difficult path.

When a when a child is missing, it affects the entire world. Classmates, teachers, neighbors, cousins, friends—all have their worlds turned upside down… We have to keep missing children in our hearts until we can hold them in our arms again.

We are all the hope for all missing children, as well as all children who are home safe today. We can never give up hope. And together, we can, and we will, build a safer world for all of our children.

AATTAP Project Coordinator Derek VanLuchene and Pamela Foster show the quilt Foster made for Derek. — AATTAP Project Coordinator Derek VanLuchene and Symposium keynote speaker Pamela Foster show the art quilt Foster made for VanLuchene—and gave him during the Symposium. {Photo: AATTAP}

By Denise Gee Peacock

For those fortunate enough to witness it, one of the Symposium’s most moving moments came in the guise of a small package—one that guest speaker Pamela Foster quietly handed to AATTAP CART Project Coordinator Derek VanLuchene.

Both share a unique bond: Foster is the mother of Ashlynne Mike, who was abducted and murdered on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico when she was 11. And VanLuchene is the brother of Ryan VanLuchene, abducted at age 8 (in the presence of Derek, then 17) and later found murdered not far from his home in rural Montana. Like Ashlynne, Ryan was sexually assaulted before being killed. “The trauma of knowing that can be unbearable,” Foster says.

Foster and VanLuchene first met in 2019 at a Montana training conference with the Blackfeet Nation. “That’s when I heard his story,” she says. “I had no idea he and I were going through such similar emotions. And since then, our talks have given me such comfort.”

Around the time of their meeting, Foster was trying her hand at designing and sewing textile art.

“Quilting gave me an outlet to disappear from the world,” she says. “I started giving the quilts to others I’d befriended who were also going through grief.”

But she kept thinking of VanLuchene. What could she create for a former police officer “who’d pretty much seen it all—but also was a gentle soul,” a sibling-survivor of a violent crime? “I wanted to give him something from my heart—especially because he’s doing such good work to help others find missing children,” she says.

She pondered the possibilities until last fall, when she learned VanLuchene’s beloved dog, Herschel, had died.

“That’s when the image came to me. I worked up the courage to design a quilt showing Ryan and Herschel together.” Whenever she found time, she worked on the gift, but only finished it the night before leaving her Southern California home to fly to New Orleans.

Detail of art quilt made by Pamela Foster for Derek VanLuchene. It memorializes Derek's late brother, Ryan, and his dog, Herschel. — The quilt depicts Derek VanLuchene’s late dog, Herschel, watching over Derek’s late brother, Ryan VanLuchene, during a fishing outing. {Photo: AATTAP}

VanLuchene was deeply moved by the gesture. “What a special gift,” he says. “Herschel and I always shared a special connection. It was devastating when he passed this last October. In so many ways he was my comfort dog. So it gives me great peace to see him comforting my brother, Ryan, near the water, which they both loved.”

Derek VanLuchene has given the quilt pride of place in his home office. Pamela Foster is happy to know he will look at it often there. “I hope each time he sees it he’ll know just how much love it holds for him,” she says.

Photo of members of the Not Invisible Act Commission shown with Jolene Hardesty, far right. — After her appointment to the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC), Joelle Hardesty (far right) served with 35 people from across the nation to fulfill the NIAC’s goal to effectively address the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples’ (MMIP) crisis. Commission members received testimony from more than 250 surviving victims, families, and others.

Portrait of Joelle Hardesty, Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Analyst and Missing Persons Coordinator for the Michigan State Police. She served on the Not Invisible Act Commission. — When Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Hardesty to the NIAC in 2022, she praised her “extensive experience collaborating with local, state, and federal law enforcement to find and recover missing children.” Hardesty serves as Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Analyst and Missing Persons Coordinator for the Michigan State Police.

By Rebecca Sherman

Jolene Hardesty has faced challenges in her 20 years of public service—from her early days as a 911 sheriff’s office dispatcher to her current role as Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Analyst and Missing Persons Coordinator for the Michigan State Police.

And while she has helped rescue an estimated 600 children by providing analytical, resource, and training support to regional, state, federal, and Tribal law enforcement, she can now count another challenging assignment as a win: 15 months of service on the Not Invisible Act Commission.

For Hardesty, the experience was equal parts daunting, rewarding, and eye- opening. She worked with 35 others from across the nation to fulfill the Commission’s goals, as follows.

Identify, report, and respond to cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) and human trafficking.
Develop legislative and administrative changes to enlist federal programs, properties, and resources to help combat the crisis.
Track and report data on MMIP and human trafficking cases.
Consider issues related to the hiring and retention of law enforcement officers.
Coordinate Tribal, state, and federal resources to combat MMIP and human trafficking on Indian lands.
Increase information-sharing with Tribal governments on violent crimes investigations and criminal prosecutions on Indian lands.

The Commission held hearings across the nation, receiving heartbreaking yet critically important testimony from hundreds of victims, survivors, family members, family advocates, and members of law enforcement.

In the fall of 2023, Hardesty and her fellow Commissioners submitted their final report to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and Congress.

With May designated as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Awareness Month (and May 5, National MMIP Day, also known as “Wear Red Day”) we talked with Hardesty about her work on the Not Invisible Act Commission—and what’s on the horizon.

Tell us a bit about your work on the Not Invisible Act Commission.
Each day was spent gearing up and prepping for meetings. I read a lot—federal statutes, statistical reports, and notes from other initiatives prior to the Not Invisible Act, such as Operation Lady Justice. Many weeks we met multiple times and brought in subject-matter experts to answer questions. I also gave in-person [congressional] testimony in D.C. as an expert on missing children, and traveled to Minnesota and Montana for public testimony. We were organized into subcommittees based on our experience. I was co-chair of Subcommittee Two, which focused on MMIP data. And on Subcommittee Four, we looked at coordinating resources, criminal jurisdiction, prosecution, and information sharing— for instance, understanding how the NCIC [National Crime Information Center] database is aggregated, and what shortfalls it presents.

How does the way data is collected present a problem?
In NCIC, there aren’t enough race categories—it’s either “Alaska Native” or “American Indian.” Beyond that, it’s also important to know if a person is a member of the Cherokee or Crow Nation, for instance, or maybe also affiliated with another Tribe. Grouping people into one category doesn’t serve justice when you are at the granular level of an investigation.

Why is the term “Indian” still used by government officials?
Growing up I was taught that term was offensive, but during my work for the Commission, I learned that when you’re speaking about Native American land, the legal term is “Indian Country.” Additionally, Alaskan Natives don’t like being called “Indian”—they live on Alaskan land. But if we explain why we need to use the term in certain circumstances, it goes a long way to show respect. I found that changed the entire conversation when talking with Native partners.

How have you built bridges of respect with your Native American partners?
By creating relationships. I reached out to our Mount Pleasant post in Michigan and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe Police Chief and asked them to be experts on relationship matters. Michigan is home to 12 federally recognized Tribes and a few that are not. And in the state’s not-so-distant past, there were at least three state-funded Indian boarding schools, where Indigenous people were not allowed to speak their language, celebrate traditions, or practice their religion. Because of that, Native American law enforcement partners and citizens often associate non-Native [law enforcement/legal] personnel with trauma. It’s important to acknowledge that, to tell them you understand why they may not trust us. Relationships built on a foundation of mutual respect are critical. You’ve got to be able to have difficult conversations with one another honestly and openly, and still be able to respect each other. Accomplishing this is possible, but takes intentional work on both sides.

Tell us about the importance of cultural awareness and historical training.
Learning about the culture really helps. For example, when non-Native people get sick, they go to the doctor. But for Native peoples, it’s very different. [When going to] Indian Health Service care, a person is asked, “How much Indian are you, and what kind?” Some clinics only serve members of certain Tribes. All that matters before treatment. So that’s the kind of thing our Indian partners face on Indian land. Historical awareness is also important [to understand inherent conflicts between Tribes]. Many were warring Tribes for generations before [the U.S. government] put them on the same reservation and said, “Be happy.”

How have you approached the complexities involved in working with different Tribes?
Every Tribe needs its own voice to be heard, and this takes significant communication and collaboration. The best way to address our Tribal partners’ needs is to ask them. We should ask them not only “What do you need?” but also, “What can I help you with?”

As you reflect on your Commission work, what’s next for you?
My work on the Commission was some of the hardest I’ve done. It was frustrating at times, and I had a huge learning curve, but I feel like I’ve helped, and know I’ve made connections with some phenomenal people. And while I’m sad to see the Commission’s work come to an end, I look forward to the next goal: Implementing AMBER Alert in Indian Country. For many of us on the Commission, the focus will be to bring our Native American partners to the table as advisors, equals, and subject-matter experts. Together, we can really address their needs.

By Jody Garlock

As the disappearance of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena from an Upstate New York park in the fall of 2023 began to garner national media attention, the parallels to another case flashed through the mind of Victoria Martuscello, Investigator/Assistant AMBER Alert Coordinator for the New York State Police (NYSP).

Photo of the law enforcement group involved in the search for Charlotte Sena in Upstate New York. — New York State Police Senior Investigator and AMBER Alert Coordinator Erika Hock (center) was among the relieved authorities at the command center during Charlotte’s safe recovery.

Shortly before Charlotte was reported missing by her family, her bike had been found abandoned on the side of a road at Moreau Lake State Park. For Martuscello, the report evoked a familiar sense of doom. “It felt like we had a classic case of Amber Hagerman playing out right in front of our faces,” she says, referencing the 9-year-old Texas girl whose 1996 abduction and murder led to the creation of our nation’s AMBER Alert program.

Meanwhile, as the critical window of time for the best odds of recovery loomed, Erika Hock, Martuscello’s supervisor and the NYSP Senior Investigator and AMBER Alert Coordinator who issued the AMBER Alert for Charlotte, couldn’t help but feel hope was waning.

Conversely, Hock and Martuscello were uplifted to see the hundreds of law enforcement professionals engaged in Charlotte’s search, as well as public interest in the case—heightened by the rallying call of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

After an expansive search lasting nearly two days, the words “We got her! We got her!” bellowed through a speaker phone at the Saratoga County command post. The fact that the fourth-grader was alive and well brought cheers throughout the post and community at large.

Charlotte’s rescue was nothing short of a miracle. Her case had defied the odds. But it would also test the fortitude of New York’s AMBER Alert plan—and offers lessons for other agencies. (See “Five key takeaways” at the end of this story.)

Saturday, September 30, 2023, was a beautiful autumn day in the foothills of New York’s Adirondack Mountains. The Sena family was enjoying the weekend with friends in two wooded camping spots at Moreau Lake State Park, about 45 miles north of Albany (and 20 minutes from the Sena’s home).

Throughout the day, Charlotte, clad in a tie-dye T-shirt, had been riding her green and blue mountain bike with her siblings and friends around the camping loop, a tree-canopied road ringed with campsites close to the park’s entrance. By dinnertime, most of Charlotte’s group were ready to call it a day, but she wanted to make one final loop on her own. When she didn’t return as expected, her parents began searching for her, as did other campers—all of them calling out for the girl in the forested park.

Within 20 minutes (about 6:45 p.m.), Charlotte’s dad and a friend found her bike on the side of the camping loop road, but she was nowhere in sight. That alarmed her mother enough to call 911.

Photo of New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaking at a press conference related to Charlotte Sena's abduction — During the search for Charlotte, “I promised her parents we’ll find their daughter,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “She’s all of our daughters.”

New York State Police Troopers arrived on the scene to canvass for information. They soon learned that shortly before Charlotte went missing, a couple at the campground had come across a bike blocking the middle of the road where they were driving. With its kickstand down, they assumed the rider had parked there temporarily, so the driver beeped the horn, hoping its owner would come back and move it. But after several minutes without a response, they decided to move it to the side of the road and continue their drive.

Based on the bike’s orderly position, officers initially didn’t think foul play was involved, Hock explains. “They thought she’d wandered into the woods and gotten lost. Nothing pointed to an abduction.”

With nightfall looming, the search intensified. Around 11 p.m., the Missing Persons Clearinghouse issued a missing child alert and distributed a poster with Charlotte’s photo. Ultimately hundreds of searchers—including police officers, forest rangers, trained canines, drone operators, underwater recovery teams, firefighters, technology experts, volunteers, and the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation—joined in to try to find the missing girl.

Without any sign of Charlotte by early Sunday morning, a NYSP lieutenant and support staff updated Hock, who agreed there was “reasonable cause” to conclude she was in danger, and likely had been abducted, thereby meeting New York’s criteria to issue an AMBER Alert.

At 9:30 a.m., Hock issued an AMBER Alert geo-targeting two regions skirting the park. At that pointin the investigation, an FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team joined the investigation. (New York’s statewide Child Abduction Response Team (CART) was in development at the time.) The governor put out a plea for the child’s safe return. Major news outlets began reporting the story, and hundreds of tips poured in. Still, the 9-year-old’s whereabouts remained a mystery.

As word of Charlotte’s disappearance circulated, the Sena home in Greenfield received a steady flow of traffic from well-wishers—known and unknown—who dropped off messages of support. While the distraught family remained at the park, their house was under police surveillance. Nothing seemed unusual until around 4:30 a.m. Monday, when a dark F-150 pickup truck pulled up to the mailbox and placed something in it.

The trooper watching the home, unable to record the license plate, immediately retrieved the item, and saw it was a crudely produced ransom note—and a critical piece of evidence. As authorities began a search for vehicles matching the truck’s description and conducted other analytical data, they also expedited a fingerprint analysis on the ransom note. Then came a lucky break: A fingerprint was found on the note. And what’s more, it matched that of 46-year-old Craig N. Ross Jr., who had been arrested in 1999 for driving while intoxicated.

By then, the state’s Cellular Analysis Response Team had verified that Ross’s cellular device was in the vicinity of the park when Charlotte disappeared, so authorities obtained search warrants for addresses linked to Ross.

Around 6:30 that evening, tactical teams swarmed a ramshackle camper on Ross’s mother’s property. Ross briefly resisted arrest, but ultimately Charlotte was found safe in a bedroom closet. Ross was arrested and charged with kidnapping, and later would be charged with sexual assault. In February 2024, he pleaded guilty to those charges.

Photos of Charlotte Sena's abductor, Craig N. Ross, and Ross' camper the 9-year-old girl was discovered in. — Craig N. Ross Jr. was booked at the Saratoga County jail shortly after tactical teams found Charlotte concealed in his camper.

As Ross awaits sentencing, Hock and Martuscello continue to field questions about how the case was handled. While there are lessons to learn from every case, the key takeaway for both investigators was that adhering to the state’s protocol for issuing AMBER Alerts worked.

From the outset, their investigative team worked quickly to find Charlotte using comprehensive investigative strategies and tools. The public was alerted once the criteria had been met—and only in a specific area where the 9-year-old was likely to be. The goal is to provide the public with information that can help, rather than confuse, efforts to locate a missing child. Strategic, targeted alerting helps prevent people from becoming de-sensitized to AMBER Alerts, which can be a deadly consequence of public indifference.

Both Hock and Martuscello remain confident in their roles and the established protocols.

“I have friends ask why AMBER Alerts aren’t issued for every missing child, but if you get an AMBER Alert every time a child goes missing, your phone would be going off all day long,” Martuscello says. “I ask them what they think they would do because of that. They say, ‘You’re right, I would turn off that alert.’”

“This case had so many aspects that defied the odds,” says Erika Hock, New York State Police Senior Investigator and AMBER Alert Coordinator. Here she shares insights on what she learned—with lessons other Coordinators can apply.

Be prepared for scrutiny and criticism. Any case—but especially a high-profile one—underscores the need to meticulously follow protocols. Members of the public and media often don’t understand how and why AMBER Alerts are issued, Hock explains, so “as an AMBER Alert Coordinator, you can’t have a weak spine. These cases aren’t cut and dried—each one has a gray area. It’s not easy to make the decisions but you have to [using the information you have at the time].”
Act without delay on the information you have. Having critical details—a license plate number or description of the suspected abductor—helps find missing children faster, but sometimes AMBER Alert Coordinators must alert the public using only a photo and description of the missing child. Geo-targeting focuses the information on the people most likely to see the child, and prevents citizens within a large area from receiving alerts that might prompt them to disable their cellphone’s AMBER Alert function.
Understand that cases are fluid. Some New Yorkers questioned why there wasn’t an immediate AMBER Alert, or why they didn’t receive the notification in their region—which prompted a New York legislator to begin pushing a bill to allow parents or guardians to request early activation. New York’s criteria for an activation specifies “reasonable cause”—defined as an eyewitness account or the elimination of other possibilities—to believe a child has been abducted. Without an eyewitness, Hock knew to let the initial search rule out possibilities, such as Charlotte being injured from falling down an embankment. She was also prepared to expand the alert to other activation regions in the state if new information warranted.
Make it a team effort. Hock advises AMBER Alert Coordinators to loop in their Public Information Officer as soon as the decision to activate is made. That person or team can then help the media and public understand the criteria.
Cultivate relationships with state law enforcement. In the Sena case, some officers had previously worked in Hock’s unit, and thus were familiar with the activation criteria. “In the past we’ve had demands to activate an AMBER Alert when it’s not even close to meeting our criteria,” Hock says. “But we have these criteria for a reason, and take the time to explain it to agencies [and the public] so they can understand.”

AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program Administrator Janell Rasmussen speaks to more than 200 Symposium attendees. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

AATTAP Region One Liaison Joan Collins helps Megan Eschleman of the California Department of Justice use a QR code to check in for a session using the Whova app. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

Photo of two women hugging at the Symposium. AMBER Alert Coordinators and child protection professionals from across the nation and abroad reunited for the annual learning event. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

Missing Child Center-Hawaii Coordinator Amanda Leonard and Honolulu Police Department Detective William Oku “hang loose” during a break. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

AATTAP Region 4 Liaison Josefina Sabori is honored to wear her badge for the event. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

Sibling-survivor Kimber Biggs shares her story during the Symposium. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

AATTAP-NCJTC Instructor/retired FBI Special Agent David Fallon leads a workshop on family member abductions. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

Sibling-survivor Kimber Biggs (right) talks with parent-survivor Pamela Foster at the Symposium. “Pamela is such an inspiration to me—and anyone who has endured a similar loss,” Biggs said. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

Sibling-survivor Kimber Biggs photographed her AMBER Alert lapel pin and two gifts from Ashlynne’s mother, Pamela Foster: a memorial button and a pair of earrings with wording from the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018.

The DOJ’s Native American Outreach Services Liaison, Marlys Big Eagle (who served as a keynote speaker), discusses her MMIP work with AIIC Program Manager Tyesha Wood. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

AMBER Alert Coordinators Janell Twardowski of Minnesota (left) and Melissa Marchant of Wisconsin pose for a photo. {Photo credit: AATTAP}

By Denise Gee Peacock

Hundreds of state and regional AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Person Clearinghouse Managers, Tribal law enforcement officers, public alerting/emergency management experts, and federal officials gathered in New Orleans February 27–28 to attend the 2024 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium.

The no-fee training and collaborative learning event, funded through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and administered by the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP), engaged attendees in discussing developing trends and case studies, sharing best practices, and training with other child protection partners to better respond to endangered missing and abducted child cases.

Held at the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the Symposium featured 26 workshops led by dozens of subject-matter experts as well as three keynote speakers. It also included six regional and Tribal breakout sessions that allowed for in-depth discussions on issues of importance to their states and Tribes.

Amanda Leonard, Coordinator for the Missing Child Center-Hawaii/Department of the Attorney General, flew more than 4,200 miles to attend the Symposium with Honolulu Police Department Detective William “Billy” Oku.

“The survivors and trainers at this event give us the needed reminder of why we serve as AMBER Alert Coordinators,” Leonard said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to excel in our important collective work. One team, one fight!”

AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen welcomed hundreds of participants representing nearly every state in the nation, as well as the program’s Northern Border Initiative partner, Canada.

In crediting the grant support that the AATTAP and its AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Initiative receives from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Rasmussen recognized two OJJDP attendees—AATTAP Grant Manager Alex Sarrano, and Lou Ann Holland, Grant Manager for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), “for their dedication to protecting children, and their passion for the work being done” by those at the Symposium.

Rasmussen praised attendees’ “hard work—work most people could not do—on behalf of missing children. Many of them are home today, but some are not. Let’s remember Elijah Vue in Wisconsin, Morgan Nick in Arkansas, Mikelle Biggs in Arizona, and Navaeh Kingbird in Minnesota. These children and so many others deserve to be found, to be reunited with their families, and to grow up in a safe environment.”

Training ‘for you, by you’

The AATTAP team develops and delivers training opportunities crafted “for you, by you”—and each Symposium is the standard bearer of that.

“ ‘For you, by you’ isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s our guiding principle,” said Byron Fassett, AATTAP Deputy Administrator. “Everything on the agenda is the result of our team asking everyone at last year’s Symposium—and everyone who participated in hundreds of our classes since then—‘What do you want to see?’ and ‘What are your needs?’”

Additionally, Symposium-goers had a digital, interactive tool for planning, collaborating, and providing feedback: the event app Whova. The platform let participants review the agenda, plan for sessions they wished to attend, map out class locations, check into sessions, weigh in on discussion topics, connect for lunch or dinner, share photos, and much more. Attendees also could suggest topics and locations for next year’s Symposium.

Guest speaker Brad Russ, Executive Director of the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), said he was proud to see how far training topics and techniques have advanced from what he experienced during his early days in law enforcement in New Hampshire.

Russ’s respected work would ultimately lead the OJJDP to seek his involvement in nationwide training that began more than 30 years ago. During that time, missing child advocate Patty Wetterling of Minnesota “helped open the eyes and hearts of stoic police officers with her powerful insight into what parents face when their child goes missing,” he recalled.

Russ also commended an early mentor—OJJDP/FVTC instructor and retired Pennsylvania Police Sergeant Gary O’Connor—for advancing traditional training techniques that historically involved staid presentations full of statistics into curriculum and instructional design employing more dynamic approaches, such as engaging participants through robust discussions, knowledge checks, and tabletop exercises. Russ has ensured such effective strategies have carried forward since the NCJTC’s creation in 2009.

The power of family perspectives

Cover of the resource guide "When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide" with link to website: https://amberadvocate.org/families — **Visit the *Family Survival Guide* website: amberadvocate.org/families.**

Symposium attendees received copies of the newly updated resource, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide. They also learned about its companion website, which gives caregivers and law enforcement instant access to the Guide’s multimedia content, including videos of the parent-survivors sharing powerful stories and advice.

“When we released the Guide on Missing Children’s Day 2023, the families involved in its production joined us for a meeting with OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan and her team,” said AATTAP Administrator Rasmussen. “The parent-authors were adamant that law enforcement needed more guidance on how to best work with, and understand, families of missing children. They also emphasized that missing child cases, and relevant training, should be a priority for law enforcement.”

As a result, Ryan asked the AATTAP to help update the resource guide, What About Me? Coping With the Abduction of a Brother or Sister. “Siblings of missing children often suffer in silence, but need so much support,” Rasmussen said.

Two family members who are helping produce the new sibling guide served as keynote speakers for the Symposium.

Kimber Biggs spoke about the devastating loss of her 11-year-old sister, Mikelle Biggs. On January 2, 1999, Mikelle was abducted while riding her bike near her family’s Arizona home—and never seen again. Biggs was 9 years old when that trauma took place, but she has spent 25 years advocating on her sister’s behalf. She now works as an Associate with the AATTAP-NCJTC.

Photo of young girl with her bicycle. — Mikelle Biggs is shown shortly before she was abducted near her Arizona home in 1999. She is still missing. {Photo: Courtesy Biggs family}

Biggs shared several distressing interactions with law enforcement “that I hope you all can learn from.” The biggest blow, she said, was set in motion after detectives learned that her father was having an affair at the time of her sister’s disappearance.

“And instead of looking at other suspects—including a registered sex offender on our street—they fixated on my dad and the affair. That was a huge setback for the case,” Biggs said. “Their thinking that he was guilty of harming my sister only added to our family’s trauma.”

While it’s taken more than two decades to see renewed interest “in what was a very cold case,” a new detective has been assigned to it, Biggs said. “That’s a great relief. It’s nice to have someone now who is trustworthy and proactive. We communicate at least weekly. And the fact that he’s eyeing a significant suspect in the case makes it feel like something is finally happening.”

On the Symposium’s second day, Pamela Foster shared her powerful story. Foster is the mother of the late 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike, whose May 2016 abduction and murder on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico led to Foster becoming a self-described “warrior mom”—not only for her daughter, but for all children in Indian Country.

“Words cannot describe the brokenness I felt when I learned Ashlynne had been murdered,” Foster said. “Words cannot describe the sheer anguish my family and the community felt at the sudden death of our precious little girl. A deep heartache followed.”

Her anguish would be further heightened after learning that the Navajo Nation—the nation’s largest Indian reservation, spanning three states—was not equipped to quickly issue an AMBER Alert. And confusion by outside law enforcement over who had the proper jurisdiction to issue the alert created a major delay in finding Ashlynne.

“Within weeks, I started petitions to bring the AMBER Alert to Indian Country,” she said. “I called for action from my friends, the Navajo Nation, and the federal government. And though I was physically exhausted and spiritually broken, I poured my heart into effecting legislative change.”

With the support of late U.S. Senator John McCain and Representative Andy Biggs, both of Arizona, by 2018, the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act was signed into law—and ultimately lead to the creation of AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative. “I’m always reassured whenever I see an AMBER Alert doing what it’s supposed to do,” Foster said.

Photo of Derek VanLuchene and Pamela Foster holding quilt. — **COVER STORY EXTRA:** Parent-survivor/2024 Symposium keynote speaker Pamela Foster surprised sibling-survivor/AATTAP Project Coordinator Derek VanLuchene with an art quilt that she made in tribute to VanLuchene’s late brother, Ryan, and his dog, Herschel. **Read “Healing Through Comfort.” https://amberadvocate.org/amber-feature/aa58-healing-through-comfort-quilt/**

After Foster’s talk, AATTAP Administrator Rasmussen and AIIC Program Manager Tyesha Wood presented her with a gift “in recognition of her ongoing bravery, generosity, and never-ending commitment to moving AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiatives forward in memory of Ashlynne—and all missing children,” Rasmussen said. “Pamela’s tireless work has changed the way we respond to missing children in Indian Country. Today, the Navajo Nation has an AMBER Alert Plan, and many other Tribal nations are working with state and regional partners to ensure that what happened to Ashlynne never happens again.”

“As painful as Kimber and Pamela’s experiences are to hear, it’s important that we do hear them to help improve our response,” said keynote speaker Marlys Big Eagle. A member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, Big Eagle serves as the National Native American Outreach Services Liaison for the U.S. Department of Justice, and has worked in criminal justice for more than two decades. Her work centers on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative and other public safety issues in Indian Country.

Over and out—and energized

At the conclusion of the Symposium, Rasmussen reminded attendees of what family members of missing children said after finalizing their work on the Family Survival Guide. “When we asked them, ‘If you could tell law enforcement what they need to hear, what would you say? ’ One of the parents mentioned earlier, Patty Wetterling, said, ‘We know the work that you do is hard; that you have families to go home to; that the work you’ve done during the day remains with you. But remember: We’re suffering the most horrific event of our lives. So we’re counting on you to do everything possible to bring our child home. But also know that we thank you for everything you do.’”

These and other words of advice and encouragement bolstered conversations long after the Symposium ended. Using the Whova app, attendees could continue discussing how to fund new technology; start and sustain a CART; improve leads management; navigate the changing social media landscape; adapt to the growing number of emergency alert classifications; develop ways to capture data; and keep people properly trained during staffing shortages. They also used the Whova platform to provide important feedback for next year’s Symposium.

Calling the conference “one of the most outstanding ones to date,” Hawaii’s AMBER Alert Coordinator Amanda Leonard also shared this: “On my way home to Honolulu via Houston, as soon as the plane landed, I received an AMBER Alert for a 12-year-old girl abducted in the city. I felt so connected to the Texas law enforcement team working her case and helping her terrified loved ones. The work never ends—and abducted children need us to be prepared to issue a lifesaving AMBER Alert for them.”

(more…)

By Denise Gee Peacock

Photo of Tyesha Wood, AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program Manager of the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative — Tyesha M. Wood

Tyesha M. Wood—a Program Manager for the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) who oversees the AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Initiative—is one of five public servants selected by the End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) organization as a 2024 “Champion of Change.”

EVAWI operates as a catalyst for justice and healing, “so that every survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence gets the right response, every time,” the non-profit group says. “Champions of Change work on a state or national level, to create system-level reforms in the way we respond to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

Wood was chosen as a “Champion of Change” because she is a “powerful advocate with an unwavering commitment to justice for children and victims of interpersonal violence in Indian Country,” the EVAWI notes.

Crediting Wood’s 17-year career in law enforcement—during which she was a detective specializing in domestic violence cases and crimes against children—EVAWI notes this about her:

Ms. Wood, a member of the Navajo Nation, is revered for her expertise in helping communities develop strategic, cross-jurisdictional responses to safely recover missing or abducted children. … A national speaker on issues of protecting Native youth from human trafficking and abuse, Wood works directly with communities, traveling to remote villages and Tribal lands around the country. Because culturally specific responses are crucial to protecting Indigenous children, she helps communities apply relevant solutions and implement comprehensive child recovery strategies. …

Wood’s leadership in promoting culturally and trauma-informed responses also extends to survivors of sexual assault. As a detective with Gila River Police Department, she helped launch the first “Start by Believing” campaign in Indian Country.

Wood’s personal dedication and professional effectiveness in strengthening responses to sex trafficking, aiding missing and exploited children, and driving implementation of culturally sensitive approaches make her an inspiration to all.

AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative was established in 2007 by the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs with the goal of creating and expanding child recovery practices, capacity, and resources in Tribal communities. For more details about the AIIC’s training opportunities and outreach, visit https://bit.ly/AIICinfo or its website, amber-ic.org.

The EVAWI was founded in 2003 by Sergeant Joanne Archambault of the San Diego Police Department. During her decades of work with victims, Sergeant Archambault saw a critical need for training law enforcement in how to investigate sexual assault and domestic violence. Criminal justice practitioners simply did not have the training and support they needed to conduct thorough investigations guided by best practices. EVAWI was created to fill this void. For more details about the 2024 “Champions of Change,” visit https://evawintl.org/creating-change/.

By Jody Garlock

Each second felt like an eternity as Eddie Bertola stared at the blank screen in front of him. While composing an AMBER Alert for the California Highway Patrol, then-Sergeant Bertola was all too aware that a child’s life depended on him getting the procedure right. That’s why he dedicated himself to learning everything he could about alerting technology—and became very good at his job.

We recently caught up with Bertola, and fellow AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Associate Instructor Tony Godwin, to find out what new or emerging technological tools are on their radars for 2024—and think they should be on yours too.

While Eddie Bertola and Tony Godwin have taken different paths in law enforcement, both nationally respected professionals embrace the significant role that technology plays in helping prevent, and find, missing and exploited children.

After 15 years with the California Highway Patrol, Bertola now serves as an Associate with the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) and AATTAP, helping train law enforcement to use the latest technological tools and resources to operate better and faster. He’s also working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to test new software that can generate exacting emergency messages with just a few clicks.

NCJTC-AATTAP Associate Godwin is a veteran detective with the Garland Police Department in Texas, and a member of the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. He remembers when “high tech” meant the ability to send emails. Now he’s a certified cellphone and computer forensics examiner who investigates child exploitation and other crimes against children that occur in areas where young people may be lured into a false sense of safety, such as a gaming app’s chat room. The combined knowledge of Godwin and Bertola is invaluable for law enforcement trainees.

1) Message Design Dashboard: Building a better WEA

New message-writing software is in development that will allow for more effective Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs)—not only to spur the public into action, but also to lessen the pressure on officials tasked with writing and disseminating the alerts.

The Message Design Dashboard, developed by the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany in New York, creates a common structure so that alerting authorities can compile consistent messaging via easy-to-use dropdown menus and prompts.

The Dashboard stems from a FEMA-funded project to support the agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which powers and authenticates the nation’s emergency alerts. The Dashboard project used research to develop the software, which factored in social science to form clear, actionable messaging.

The software should be ready for use with AMBER Alert messaging in early 2024 says Jeannette Sutton, a University at Albany professor who heads the project and specializes in disaster and risk. Bertola and Sutton emphasize the ease of using the Dashboard, where users can click desired descriptors from dropdown menus. As answers are selected, the message is automatically built in a preview box at the side of the screen, with all content remaining editable. “We believe a common structure will improve messaging and get people to follow a consistent set of information and style of writing,” Sutton says.

The software tracks the character count, building a 90-character message that IPAWS requires, along with a 360-character message that most of today’s devices can receive. Hyperlinks are also checked to ensure they don’t go to an invalid page, which can erode public trust in the process.

2) Flock Safety: Real-time vehicle intelligence

One product that’s making a marked difference in how police officers do their jobs is Flock Safety, a system with high-quality cameras, video, and other technology (shown at right) that reads license plates in order to provide real-time actionable intelligence.

“It’s been the biggest game-changer for us,” Godwin says. “It’s really altered how we work in law enforcement.”

Thirty years ago, the process of running tags and finding a vehicle was “almost like trying to catch a unicorn,” he says. With Flock Safety, officers receive alerts when a wanted vehicle passes by a camera. The notifications give the reason for the alert, date/time, and which camera the vehicle drove past. The alert also sends a picture of the vehicle, the license plate, and a map location.

In September 2023, Flock Safety equipment helped Elizabethtown, Kentucky, police safely recover a toddler caught up in a carjacking.

“Of all the years I’ve been doing this, I can’t think of … a more game-changing piece of technology for law enforcement,” said Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson when asking the city council for more Flock cameras to be added to the system installed six months earlier. “I’ve heard council members say that if we recover one kidnapped child, it was worth it. And in my opinion, no truer words have been spoken.”

Flock gathers only open source data, such as car tag information. The cameras read license plates only; they don’t identify motorists (there’s no facial recognition) or record speeds. The system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, sends an alert to law enforcement only if the vehicle has been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, such as if it’s a stolen vehicle or wanted in connection with an AMBER Alert, or if an officer has entered it as a follow-up on an investigation. Data collected is deleted after 30 days.

At $2,500 per camera per year, the system is decidedly an investment. But if such a cost is prohibitive, Godwin says traditional license plate recognition (LPR) technology is still beneficial.

Screengrab from Ring doorbell: In 2022, a Ring doorbell camera documented the attempted abduction of a 6-year-old Ohio girl who was taking out the family’s trash. A man grabbed her and started dragging her down the sidewalk, but released her due to her screams. The video helped authorities apprehend the abductor. — In 2022, a Ring doorbell camera **documented** the attempted abduction of a 6-year-old Ohio girl who was taking out the family’s trash. A man grabbed her and started dragging her down the sidewalk but released her due to her screams. The video helped authorities apprehend the abductor.

3) Doorbell cameras: Public-engaging technology

Crime-fighting technology is branching beyond expensive equipment in patrol cars and computers in the office. Everyday consumer technology, such as doorbell cameras available for as little as $60, has emerged as a valuable resource to help law enforcement piece together investigations and prosecute cases.

“The growing public engagement in this area is one of the things I’m most excited about,” Bertola says.

He expects a continued increase in the public’s proactive sharing of video from doorbell, security, car dashboard, and cellphone cameras when they think it may help—rather than officers having to knock on doors and ask for the information.

“This type of rapid exchange of information is huge,” Bertola says. “Law enforcement seems to be starting to focus on harnessing that.” Some agencies have begun mapping subdivisions and other areas to note places with doorbell or other security cameras.

“Doing little things like that is going to help with trust in the community,” he says. “And as the community sees this, they’re going to become even more willing to share and become a partner.”

4) Open Source Intelligence: Digging deep for answers

“Any investigation into a child’s disappearance should include Open Source Intelligence (OSINT),” Godwin says. He considers it “one of the most crucial law enforcement techniques in the digital world.”

OSINT is an umbrella term for collecting and analyzing data from publicly available sources, much of it via the Internet, for intelligence purposes. Its origins date to World War II, when William Donovan began using it for the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.

“It’s an important tool as we are looking into investigations, especially reactive ones where we don’t know much about our person,” Godwin says.

Screengrab of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) research site recommended by AATTAP tech expert Tony Godwin — Godwin suggests investigators use the multiple layers of research tools available at **OSINTFramework.com**.

Most crimes today leave digital traces, and OSINT picks up those fragments of data. The information is vast, so an OSINT framework provides links to the best resources to easily find information about a target and browse various OSINT tools.

The main types of OSINT resources are mass media (such as print, digital, TV, radio); “gray literature” (such as documents and reports from charities, census data, and academic publications); and social media.

Web searches encompass three categories:
• Surface web, which is the traditional method/platform;
• Deep web/dark net, which requires a specific URL or IP address; and
• Dark web, which requires special tools, such as the anonymizing browser Tor.

The OSINT cycle starts with planning to ensure there’s a clear understanding of the types of information needed. It then proceeds to collecting, processing, and analyzing the data before the intelligence is ultimately disseminated.

The process is time-consuming, which is why Godwin is encouraged to see departments hiring full-time crime analysts to lead the charge and ensure information is gathered effectively and ethically.

5) Artificial intelligence: Growing & evolving

No technology has exploded more in recent times than artificial intelligence (AI). It’s considered the next big thing, even though machine learning dates to the 1950s. “AI is not yet widely used internally, but it will be,” Godwin says.

Police departments around the United States already use a form of AI in image recognition technology that reads license plates and other vehicle information. Similarly, Godwin expects facial recognition technology to become a “more powerful and more important” tool in improving efficiencies in law enforcement and getting criminals off the streets.

“There are so many cameras everywhere you go,” he says. “I think that’s where the future will go for us, making it much easier to solve crimes.” (Facial recognition technology helped authorities identify some of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. More recently, authorities in the United Kingdom used it to investigate child exploitation cold cases, which led to the arrest of a Missouri man.)

Analytically, AI is being used in criminal investigations to help sift through vast amounts of data. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) uses Logikcull to filter, gather, and package information for law enforcement and prosecutors. The AI tool has saved NCMEC thousands of hours, allowing its legal staff to operate more efficiently.

The downsides of AI include deepfake technology that can convincingly mimic a person’s physical appearance and voice. Last year, federal officials even issued warnings about virtual kidnapping fraud that uses AI to clone a loved one’s voice.

Godwin expects deepfake detection apps and tools to make strides, though they are evolving.

Detection tools already available include Google’s SynthID and Meta’s Stable Signature, which embed digital watermarks in video and audio; Pindrop and Veridas, which examine details such as how sounds of words sync up with a speaker’s mouth; and AntiFake, which scrambles an audio signal to make it harder to be cloned by AI.

As deepfake technology becomes more sophisticated, some experts are calling on the federal government to regulate it. Additionally, critics claim that law enforcement’s use of AI technology could infringe on privacy and civil rights, leading to false arrests. And there’s concern that “automation bias”—a person’s propensity to trust automated systems over their own judgment—could have authorities failing to look at the information critically.

Godwin knows that organizations will need to balance the risk and rewards of AI, which U.S. Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco calls one of “the most important issues we face in law enforcement, national security, the protection of privacy, and civil liberties.”

Be on the Lookout: More Tech Advances

Better Equipping Indian Country

FEDERAL WINS:

On November 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior established a new Office of Indigenous Communications and Technology (OICT) to assist Tribal Nations in managing, developing, and maintaining broadband infrastructure, new electromagnetic spectrum easing mechanisms, and in providing technical assistance for the establishment of wireless, digital, and technological projects on Tribal lands.
The Biden administration has pledged nearly $3 billion to expand access to broadband on Tribal lands. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, part of the White House’s “Internet for All Initiative,” has so far awarded $1.86 billion in grants to 226 Tribal communities to build highspeed Internet infrastructures, establish affordable Internet access programs, and support digital inclusion projects.

AMBER ALERT IN INDIAN COUNTRY:

The AATTAP’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) team is continuing to distribute Technology Toolkits to Tribal law enforcement agencies from Alabama to Washington. Equipped with a rugged portable case, Toughbook tablet, digital camera, and more, the toolkits provide Tribal authorities with additional resources to best respond to cases of missing and abducted children. “Tribal communities have long lacked access to high-speed Internet, limiting their ability in the field—especially in remote areas where rugged terrain makes it difficult to build infrastructure,” says AIIC Program Manager Tyesha Wood.
The AIIC has partnered with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to offer high-speed, wireless Internet service to select Tribes. Congress established the independent authority to develop a nationwide broadband network dedicated to public safety. More than 70 Tribal nations use FirstNet, and in the last two years, coverage (through AT&T) has increased more than 40 percent on federally recognized Tribal lands.
The Navajo Nation—the largest Indian reservation in the U.S., spanning three states—is building a vast modern communications system. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority earmarked its $50 million grant to fund 11 new telecommunications towers, install more than 200 miles of fiber and cable/wireless broadband equipment, and increase or connect high-speed Internet to more than 20,000 Native American households. It also aims to enhance mobile broadband connectivity for first responders.

NCMEC’s QR Code to the Rescue

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is confident one of its newest tech-smart initiatives—using a QR code on missing child posters—can revolutionize the search for endangered missing children.

By scanning the poster’s QR code with a cell phone, the user can get much more information than what a poster typically would allow. Users can also access photos and descriptive details for all missing children reported within a 50-mile radius. “Instead of sharing one missing child poster, the public can view all missing children in their immediate area, whether they are at home or traveling,” said Dr. John E. Bischoff, Vice President of NCMEC’s Missing Children Division, at the 2023 AATTAP-AIIC National Symposium.

NCMEC’s posters will also have larger photos of the missing child and eliminate extraneous details, such as date of birth, when the child’s age will suffice.

Policing Bad Apps

A tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) is identifying risky apps concerning child exploitation. The App Danger Project, a website designed to create a safer online environment and help parents determine what apps are safe for their children to use, lists more than 180 apps across Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store that meet its criteria for being considered dangerous. The website also includes a search tool to easily analyze user reviews of specific apps. As a result of the initiative, Apple has removed 10 apps to date that violated the company’s guidelines.

Data Mining is Gold—But Tricky

With the amount of data law enforcement can leverage through technology, it’s crucial to have a strategy to mine the information efficiently and ethically. According to a recent article in Police Chief Magazine, the data should be stored in a single platform that can be accessed by everyone in the department, while ensuring the public’s trust is maintained. Some agencies are innovating to effectively create real-time crime centers (RTCC) that bring together data from various sources to improve efficiencies and enhance public safety.

For Searches, the Heat is On

Drones with thermal cameras are becoming a must-have tool in missing persons searches. The drones, which can be deployed quickly and cover vast areas, are able to detect body heat, even if the person reported missing is in thick brush or dark conditions. The heat signature from the thermal camera provides real-time intelligence to direct searchers to the location.

Forensic Genetic Genealogy Cracks Cold Cases

Even as the debate about DNA-related privacy issues persists, forensic investigative genetic genealogy (“FIGG”) is solving high-profile cases previously thought to be unsolvable. The emerging practice combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogy research to identify suspects and the remains of missing persons. Using FIGG, law enforcement can search ancestry databases containing DNA profiles of consenting people who are tracking family history. FIGG took hold in 2018 after authorities used GEDmatch to identify the Golden State Killer; and one researcher estimates more than 500 cold cases have been solved since.

Geolocation Finds Favor

Police in Pennsylvania have an iPad to thank for the swift recovery of an abducted 11-year-old girl—and the case serves as an example of how geolocation has become a proven investigative tool. Authorities were able to ping the location of the girl’s tablet to track her whereabouts, and ultimately arrest a man on luring charges. Geolocation uses GPS, cell phone towers, and WiFi signals to track a device (such as a cell phone, tablet, or computer), and the pings have become a key part of searches. More recently, geolocation satellite data is being integrated into artificial intelligence to enhance data analysis.

Photo of Carlos Morales Rojas, Mexico’s Alerta Amber National Coordination Liaison. At a regional conference, he showed faces of missing children—even as he was working a developing case that prompted issuance of a national AMBER Alert. — Carlos Morales Rojas, Mexico’s Alerta Amber National Coordination Liaison, showed faces of missing children—even as he was working a developing case that prompted issuance of a national AMBER Alert.

By Rebecca Sherman

On the morning of August 29, 2023, as AMBER Alert Coordinators from northern Mexico gathered in a Monterrey hotel ballroom for a three-day child protection training conference with top U.S. officials, a real-life child abduction
emergency was unfolding behind the scenes.

Hours earlier, and some 230 miles away, 15-month-old Angela Chávez had been taken from her home in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, by armed criminals during a home invasion that left her parents and another adult dead.

Angela was discovered missing by her distraught grandmother, who arrived at the home with local authorities after the murders. Realizing the infant was in grave danger, officials immediately notified Yubia Yumiko Ayala Narváez, Regional Coordinator of the Gender-Based Violence Unit of the Regional de la Fiscalia del Estado de Chihuahua, or Chihuahua North Prosecutor’s Office. But like many of her colleagues in Mexico, Narváez was at the conference, organized by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) team (based in Mexico City’s U.S. Embassy) and attended by leaders of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP).

Even while at the event, Narváez discreetly sprang into action, issuing a regional Alerta Amber, Mexico’s version of a U.S. AMBER Alert. Posters of Angela—a cherubic girl with large brown eyes—were circulated on social media, and alerts buzzed on cellphones throughout the region.

Narváez also briefed fellow conference attendee Carlos Morales Rojas on the situation. As Alerta Amber National Coordination Liaison, Rojas works with Mexico’s 32 state AMBER Alert Coordinators while based in the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes of Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking for the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), or Office of the Attorney General.

Amid intense and hushed conversations, Narváez and Rojas exchanged information on the abduction during the conference presentations taking place. “Given the seriousness and urgency of the case, we knew we had to work quickly to activate the (national) AMBER Alert, but we also maintained a certain confidentiality of the information,” Rojas recalls.

The effort to rescue baby Angela quickly became a real-time case study that had officials drawing from a deep well of collective experience and training. “That allowed us to disseminate the alert with urgency, encouraging the media to reach as many people as possible,” Rojas says.

Several hours after the first alert was issued—and still with no sign of baby Angela—Rojas elevated the alert to the national level, an expanded presence that would no doubt heighten public awareness of the child’s case. Then, once the national AMBER Alert was activated, Rojas and Narváez informed conference attendees about the developing situation.

Fortuitously, the room was filled with experts on missing and endangered children who collaborated to ensure a swift response in the emerging case. They included: AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen; Yesenia “Jesi” Leon Baron, AATTAP’s Project Coordinator of International and Territorial Programs (including the Southern Border Initiative) and Certification Manager for Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training initiatives; and top officials with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, including Gigi Scoles, Gabriela Betance, Flor Reyes, and Oswaldo Casillas.

“All of them facilitated our work, allowing us to carry it out right there at the conference,” Rojas says.

Media and public response came swiftly. Kidnappers, likely aware the case was receiving national attention, abandoned Angela in a doorway in Ciudad Juarez. A woman spotted the infant and promptly called 911, helping authorities to safely recover her 30 hours after the first AMBER Alert was issued.

“Those who took baby Angela definitely felt pressure due to the wide dissemination of the AMBER Alert,” Rojas says. “They knew that many people were looking for her.”

Mexican authorities had baby Angela in their caring hands 30 hours after the first Alerta Amber wasactivated. — Mexican authorities had baby Angela in their caring hands 30 hours after the first *Alerta Amber* was activated. The toddler is now living with relatives.

With Angela’s rescue occurring on August 31—the last day of the OPDAT conference—Narváez and Rojas were offered the opportunity to present what had just unfolded as a successful case study, “one that was the result of excellent coordination between Mexican authorities and the public,” Rojas says.

“With the conference focused on sharing AMBER Alert success stories, the case of baby Angela was significant. Training is the most important aspect of our work; that’s why we constantly share our experiences.”

AMBER Alerts, along with media reports and the public’s help in searching for a missing child, are powerful tools in the effort to recover endangered missing children, as conference attendees witnessed in real time. “Without the support of our citizens, our work would essentially be futile,” Rojas says. “We would simply be spectators of what happens.”

Photo of Dr. Noelle Hunter with her daughter, Maayimuna “Muna” — Dr. Noelle Hunter shares a happy moment with her daughter, Maayimuna “Muna.”

By Jody Garlock

Sitting in a McDonald’s restaurant in Kentucky on New Year’s Day 2011, Dr. Noelle Hunter had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. Her ex-husband was three hours late to their planned meeting spot, where he was to return their 4-year-old daughter, Maayimuna “Muna” from a holiday visit. Her maternal instinct proved to be right. She and Muna had become victims of international parental child abduction (IPCA).

It was the start of an ordeal that Dr. Hunter never could have imagined.

After the FBI was able to confirm that her ex-husband had illegally taken Muna to Mali, West Africa, Hunter thrust herself into a tireless effort to bring her daughter home. She navigated cultural nuances and complex international law, staged protests in front of embassies in Washington, D.C., pleaded with United Nations members, and worked with a congressional delegation to pressure the Mali government to return Muna. In 2014, she was finally able to bring Muna, almost 7 by that time, home safely. But Hunter never took her foot off the gas.

Dr. Noelle Hunter (at far right) walks with fellow advocates for the iStand Parent Network in Washington, D.C. — Dr. Noelle Hunter (shown far right) walks with her fellow advocates for the iStand Parent Network in Washington, D.C.

For the past decade, the mother-turned-advocate has led the iStand Parent Network, which she co-founded in February 2014 to provide resources, support, and advocacy to IPCA survivors—parents and children alike. With Muna’s help (as an iStand Youth Ambassador), she has been a champion for change to ensure other parents don’t suffer the same fate—and a support for those enduring a similar struggle. Hunter was one of eight parent co-authors of the newly updated multimedia resource, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide.

In September 2023, the iStand Parent Network held its final annual conference and gala as the organization concluded nearly a decade of important and committed work to bring greater awareness and better understanding about the problem of IPCA, and support families impacted by it. Hunter—a clinical assistant professor at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH)—is now transitioning from advocacy work to a behind-the-scenes role in research and policy analysis through the university’s new International Child Abduction Prevention and Research Office (ICAPRO), which she spearheaded. “I’m just hard-wired to fight for children,” she says. We spoke with her about her journey—and what’s ahead.

Quote: “There are far too many parents unaware that it can happen—until it happens.” From Dr. Noelle Hunter—IPCA victim, child advocate, and professor — **>> WATCH:** To hear Dr. Hunter tell her story and share advice for the newly updated, W *hen Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide*, visit familysurvival.amberadvocate.org/video-library/ and click on “Dr. Noelle Hunter.”

How are you and Muna doing? How have you managed to move forward?

Muna is having the best year of her life. She’s 16 and a 10th-grader. She has a close friend group who shares her quirky humor and love for anime. She’s a naturally gifted visual artist, and just started her first job at a supermarket to earn her own money. Most of all, though, she is a truly gracious young lady—very kind, respectful, gentle—with a very strong sense of self. I marvel because she could justifiably be angry, non-trusting, or generally unhappy after her abduction. But she was never that way. As for me, my bedrock faith has always sustained and empowered me—first to bring Muna home, and then to help other families, and speak truth to power. It’s the simplest and greatest reason I thrive.

Did you imagine the iStand Parent Network would last a decade?

I honestly envisioned iStand enduring in perpetuity. Our motto is [the hashtag] #iStandUntilAllChildrenComeHome, so there is grief. But it was time to sunset the organization since its parent-driven engagement had decreased. It had become basically two parts—myself and Jeffery Morehouse [also a Family Survival Guide parent-author]—doing the policy work, with a few others helping. But iStand has catalyzed other organizations to form and continue the work, including iHOPE, a Lebanon-based NGO that will take it to the next level of global engagement. And most importantly, we’ve helped empower parents to bring children home. We’ve seen most elements of our 10-point vision statement come to life. So we can rest knowing that iStand has impacted generations.

What has changed with IPCA—good or bad—in the past 10 years?

We’ve seen legislation enacted, such as the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (aka “the Goldman Act” or ICAPRA) designed to ensure compliance with the Hague Abduction Convention, which set standards of practice between countries to resolve abductions. We’ve seen the U.S. government fully implement an abduction prevention program that includes a no-fly list for at-risk children—I’m most proud of that. We’ve also seen Congress recognize April as IPCA Awareness Month.

In 2014, Hunter, her daughter Maayimuna “Muna,” and a family friend visited U.S. Senator MitchMcConnell. McConnell was part of the Kentucky delegation Hunter worked with to secure Muna’s safe return. — In 2014, Hunter, her daughter Maayimuna “Muna,” and a family friend visited U.S. Senator Mitch
McConnell. McConnell was part of the Kentucky delegation Hunter worked with to secure Muna’s safe return.

But during the pandemic, we lost a great deal of our momentum. We also believe Congress has rested on its laurels after passing ICAPRA, not giving weighty consideration to stronger enforcement of it and other laws. And tragically, there’s been little global reform on this issue. Some nations, such as the U.K., perform relatively well, while others, such as Japan, India, and Brazil, continue to disregard the Hague treaty and international norms concerning abducted children. This is brutal policy work and we’ve been doing it from a parent-advocate prospective, which gets us only so far. It’s time to shift to a data-driven approach.

Tell us about your new research initiative at UAH.

The goal is to begin to create a body of current literature in research on IPCA. Existing research is almost 20 years old and the information is woefully out of date. We want data to illustrate the scope of the problem, the gaps in federal and international responses. We want to take what we learn from the initial research to make policy recommendations to Congress. This all came about in a beautiful way. I teach classes at UAH, and in one of them we created a IPCA think tank. Students did such a wonderful job that I asked permission to develop it into an office concept, which took a year. Our 10th point of vision with iStand was to establish an independent entity that would guide research and engagement, so this is really an evolution of that.

In May 2023, Dr. Noelle Hunter spoke before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing “Bring Abducted Children Home,” televised on C-SPAN. — >> **WATCH:** Dr. Hunter speak before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing “Bring Abducted Children Home,” **televised** in May 2023.

What do you want law enforcement to know about IPCA cases?

No. 1, it is not a civil matter. The response tends to be, “We can’t do anything unless you get a court order,” and a court order is by definition a civil matter. But a parent is not required to have a court order to report their child missing. Federal law requires the child to be immediately entered into the NCIC database. No. 2, there are other laws that require law enforcement to fulfill first-responder duties without waiting for a court order. And No. 3, consider a child to be at risk when they’ve been taken internationally, regardless of if he or she is with a parent.

What was it like being one of the parent-authors of the updated When Your Child Is Missing: Family Survival Guide?

Eye-opening and transformative. I honestly had only thought about international abductions and didn’t see the number of similarities with domestic ones. I was also truly humbled by the grace of my co-authors whose children were murdered. What magnificent valor to continue to help others after the unimaginable. I was honored to be in their company and work with them on this project—which I already know is helping people: I received a call from a parent who was going down the checklist. Our hope is for it to be a widely known go-to source—for law enforcement, attorneys, social services, child and victim advocates, and others—as the first step to empower parents on this awful journey.

What’s next for you?

Besides the work I plan to do with the new International Child Abduction Prevention and Research Office, it’s time for me to live a little. Time to rest. I haven’t stopped since 2011 when my daughter was taken. It’s time to slow down and enjoy life knowing I’ve been a good soldier. And perhaps it’s time to start writing a book of this amazing story that doesn’t seem to have an end.

IPCA Myth Busters

Dr. Noelle Hunter dispels three common myths surrounding international parental child abduction (IPCA) cases

Myth: It’s feuding parents, not criminal action, that harms children and families.
Reality: Local law enforcement initially brushed off Hunter’s abduction claim, assuming she and her ex-husband had simply had a fight that would resolve itself. “I remember the exact words from them: ‘Well, I guess he just got tired of dealing with you and took her.’ ” She urges law enforcement to take parental child abduction seriously and treat it as the criminal matter it is.

Myth: Parents can just go get their child.
Reality: To get her daughter home safely, it took Hunter nearly three years of nonstop work, which involved developing a network of attorneys in both the U.S. and abroad. Despite court rulings in her favor, her ex-husband would file appeals to delay the process. Fortunately for Hunter, Muna’s return happened shortly before she turned 7—the age when a mother’s custodial rights greatly decrease in Mali. Hunter also contends that governments have been lax in enforcing the Hague Abduction Convention and holding non-compliant countries accountable.

Myth: The child is fine because he/she is with the other parent.
Reality: Even if there’s no physical harm, abducted children who have their life uprooted and are forced to adapt to a different culture takes an emotional toll, Hunter says. “My daughter was in a foreign country—she didn’t know anyone.”

Members of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program /AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative team recently presented Technology Toolkits to six Wisconsin Tribal Nations during a quarterly Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force Advisory Board meeting at Oneida Indian Nation Police Headquarters in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Oneida Nation Police Lieutenant Justine Wheelock with a Technology Toolkit in Oneida, Wisconsin — Oneida Nation Police Lieutenant Justine Wheelock shows off her agency’s new Technology Toolkit in Wisconsin.

By Denise Gee Peacock

The AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) team recently provided Technology Toolkits to nearly two dozen Tribal nations in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Each durable toolkit—containing a rugged laptop, webcam, digital camera, scanner, and hotspot device with six free months of WiFi—can help Tribes work more quickly and efficiently during missing child cases.

Funding for the toolkits, offered to any federally recognized Tribe, is provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018.

In Wisconsin, the toolkits were provided during the quarterly Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force Advisory Board meeting at the Oneida Nation Police headquarters in Oneida.

In Minnesota, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Holistic Health Spiritual Care CoordinatorGary Charwood blessed the event with a smudging ceremony. — In Minnesota, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Holistic Health Spiritual Care Coordinator Gary Charwood blessed the event with a **smudging** ceremony.

In Minnesota, the toolkits presentation occurred during a quarterly meeting with leaders from state Tribal law enforcement as well as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The event was held at the Cedar Lakes Casino and Hotel, owned by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

Law enforcement leaders from six federally recognized Tribes in Minnesota recently met with representatives from the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative, as well as the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Department of Public Safety. — In Minnesota, law enforcement leaders from six federally recognized Tribes recently met with representatives from the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative, as well as the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Department of Public Safety, to accept Technology Toolkits.

Collage of images showing the eight "Family Survival Guide" parent-authors and their children, along with a candle during a vigil — **>>Click here to learn more about the parent-authors and their children.**

“I remember standing in the middle of chaos, wishing I had a book to tell me what to do.”
Colleen Nick
Mother of Morgan Nick, abducted at age 6 while catching fireflies with friends during a Little League baseball game in 1995

Thankfully, there is such a resource: When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide. And its new multimedia format—with updated, actionable information—is more relevant and accessible than ever.

The Guide’s advice reflects the hard-won lessons of eight parents, including Colleen Nick, who have faced “the worst thing any of us could ever imagine—and no parent ever wants to think about: having their child go missing,” says parent-author Patty Wetterling.

Organized with numerous checklists and resources, the fifth edition of the Guide is a compass for parents in the midst of chaos. Its new iteration is fully digital, with a website offering a downloadable, printable guide, plus searchable online content and more than 100 videos covering the myriad of issues a parent may face during the search for their child.

Officially released on National Missing Children’s Day in May 2023, the Family Survival Guide was a labor of love for its parent-authors, who worked with the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) publications team and others for nearly two years to bring it to fruition. Reliving their experiences “is never easy; in fact, it’s agonizing—but it’s important for us,” Patty says.

Cover of "When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide" (Fifth Edition) — **>> Visit the “Family Survival Guide” website to download the publication or browse its searchable content and videos.**

When first published in 1998, When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide was the first comprehensive resource of its kind, offering parents of missing children guidance on effectively working with law enforcement, the media, and volunteers; managing rewards and donations; and “simply surviving to fight another day in the search for their child,” Colleen says.

She and Patty were among a small group of families that Ron Laney of the U.S. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) invited to work on the project with help from Helen Connelly, then a senior consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)—and later a Program Administrator for Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), home to AATTAP and the National Criminal Justice Program (NCJTC).

The Guide quickly became the go-to source for people who “speak the language of missing”—not only in this country, but also abroad, where agencies from the United Kingdom to Australia include it on their websites. “But a lot has changed in 25 years,” Patty says. “It was time for a new look, both in its content and design.”

Patty and Colleen rejoined Helen to work with six other parents to produce the Guide’s update with the AATTAP publications team—an initiative funded and guided by the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the OJJDP.

“Though there have been several prior updates to the Guide, this one is especially important,” Helen says. “It incorporates the most current information on a wider range of missing child situations. It also gives families immediate access to information via its online format. And there they can hear the parents’ advice and encouragement from the parents themselves, who speak directly to them through powerful videos.”

The parents share these goals: To give voice to children who have been forever silenced. To give hope to parents of missing children when life is at its lowest point. And to help law enforcement best work with parents who desperately want to find their missing child.

For 18 months beginning in fall 2021, the parents worked with the AATTAP project team to begin analyzing every aspect of the Guide: deciding what needed revision, what information needed emphasis, and what new resources and guidance should be added.

Getting the Guide to completion took numerous virtual meetings, independent work spanning weeks, and multiple rounds of peer review that included input from top law enforcement professionals with expertise in finding missing children. The parents aimed to highlight more advanced technology, new and helpful laws, better ways of investigating, and expanded resources. Another goal was to speak more directly and clearly to parents.

Beyond being able to download a PDF of the document, they wanted to ensure parents could access its content from any place with WiFi. They worked diligently to develop information on topics relevant to today: broader classifications of missing children; the impact of social media and communication apps; ever-growing concerns about trafficking; increased public alerting options; and “how to work with law enforcement who may not be trained on new laws, or know how to access specialized resources,” says parent-author Jeffery Morehouse.

The parent-authors shared advice for searching parents and law enforcement during video filming sessions earlier this year in Salt Lake City. See highlights of their advocacy work by visiting [ADD HERE] — The parent-authors shared advice for searching parents as well as law enforcement during filming.

In January 2023, a week of filming took place in Salt Lake City. The parents flew in from New York, Washington, Minnesota, Tennessee, Arizona, Colorado, and Alabama to help contribute to what would become a vast library of video segments for the Guide’s website. (Colleen was unable to attend the session due to her work on the documentary “Still Missing Morgan.”)

The film crew and AATTAP team worked carefully and compassionately with families to capture the parents’ heart-wrenching stories and invaluable guidance available only from those who have survived what they have and been left resilient. Tears flowed. Hugs were plentiful. Connections were electric.

On the final day, parents were asked to speak directly to law enforcement to share advice that could be used for both the Guide and AATTAP training events. And at the end of the session, not a dry eye was visible.

AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen was in attendance—and awe. “The strength in this room is so powerful,” she said. “The wisdom you’ve shared inspires me to share a quote [from Saint Augustine] that I think is appropriate for this moment.”

Parent-author Dr. Noelle Hunter replied, “As Ahmad says, ‘This is the club that none of us ever wanted to be in.’ But we’re in it. And, oh, my goodness—the power of solidarity you feel with people who get you exactly is transformative. It’s one of the reasons I never gave up working to see my child returned, and why I stay in this cause to help parents reunite with their children. There is no substitute for the new family that we have built through this work.”

For parent-author Yvonne Ambrose, “this process has been like going to counseling,” she said. “We all had a support system in place until our child went missing. Then we lost people who didn’t understand what we were going through. But even though we’ve lost them, we’ve found each other. That gives us the strength to keep fighting—and be there for others.”

Four months after filming, the Family Survival Guide “family” (or “FSG power team,” Yvonne calls them) reunited in Washington, D.C., to attend this year’s National Missing Children’s Day—where the completed Guide was first announced May 23. They also were invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with OJJDP Administrator Elizabeth Ryan and her team.

Prior to the DOJ-hosted Missing Children’s Day event, the FSG family gathered at their Alexandria, Virginia, hotel for a reception hosted by AATTAP staff. They held the first bound copies of the 96-page Family Survival Guide and previewed the new companion website. They also watched “The Power of Support,” a video encapsulating some of their most powerful messages shared during the Family Survival Guide filming sessions.

“You all embody incredible courage,” Janell said, “and your wisdom and candor will be immensely valuable to both parents and law enforcement, who can learn from it and share it with others.” The parents said they plan to continue helping train law enforcement by working with the AATTAP and NCJTC of Fox Valley Technical College. They also want to continue advocating for legislative changes that support parents facing situations similar to theirs.

They also emphasized the value of volunteering with Team HOPE, a cornerstone program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The group is made up of trained parent and family volunteers who have experienced the trauma of having a missing or exploited child. Counseling is offered 24/7 to families coping with all the complex issues surrounding the search for their missing child.

Parent-author Ahmad Rivazfar tends to the "Family Survival Guide" table during the 2023 National Missing Children's Day event at the U.S. Department of Justice — Parent-author Ahmad Rivazfar tends to the *Family Survival Guide* table during the 2023 National Missing Children’s Day event at the U.S. Department of Justice.

The parent-authors joined members of the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance team during National Missing Children's Day 2023 in Washington, D.C. — The parent-authors joined members of the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance team during National Missing Children’s Day 2023.

The parents were front and center when the Guide was announced at the 40th annual National Missing Children’s Day event at the U.S. Department of Justice Great Hall in Washington, D.C. “The terror felt by a parent when their child has disappeared is overwhelming,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I have great respect for the brave and resourceful professionals who work every day to protect children from harm, reunite missing children with their families, and provide support in the aftermath of a traumatic event. There is no cause more worthy of honor.”

Following the event, the FSG team gathered at the OJJDP office to talk with Administrator Elizabeth Ryan and OJJDP Program Managers Lou Ann Holland and Alex Sarrano. The parents thanked the OJJDP team for inviting them to participate in the project, and discussed ways to increase awareness of the Guide and further help searching parents.

One conversation addressed the need for parents and law enforcement to understand what types of financial support are available for crime victims. “The criteria around accessing these funds is not clearly defined or understood,” Ahmad said. Patty then described hardships that her son, Trevor—who witnessed is brother’s abduction—has experienced while trying to receive victim resource support as an adult.

Administrator Ryan assured the parents that her team would help address such obstacles, and assist families of missing children in every way possible. Yvonne expressed her gratitude.

Group photo. Shown at the OJJDP "Family Survival Guide" meeting in D.C. are, front row from left: Lou Ann Holland (OJJDP), Janell Rasmussen (AATTAP/NCJTC), and parents Nacole Svendgard, Elaine Hall, Yvonne Ambrose, and Patty Wetterling; shown back row from left: Denise Gee Peacock (AATTAP), Alex Sarrano (OJJDP), Brad Russ (NCJTC), parent Ahmad Rivazfar, Liz Ryan (OJJDP), Bonnie Ferenbach (AATTAP), and parents Dr. Noelle Hunter and Jeffery Morehouse. — Shown at the OJJDP *Family Survival Guide* meeting in D.C. are, front row from left: Lou Ann Holland (OJJDP), Janell Rasmussen (AATTAP/NCJTC), and parents Nacole Svendgard, Elaine Hall, Yvonne Ambrose, and Patty Wetterling; shown back row from left: Denise Gee Peacock (AATTAP), Alex Sarrano (OJJDP), Brad Russ (NCJTC), parent Ahmad Rivazfar, Elizabeth Ryan (OJJDP), Bonnie Ferenbach (AATTAP), and parents Dr. Noelle Hunter and Jeffery Morehouse.

“The fact that you all are supporting this new Guide, and allowing us to help others—and having us here today to talk about what families need—means the world to us,” she said. In response, Ryan told the group, “What you have built together is immensely powerful—and greatly needed.”

At the meeting’s close, Patty returned the focus on the parent-authors’ children—some of them found, but some still lost—as well as all children who remain missing.

“Why not get ahead of the problem?” she said. “How do we raise our kids to be the way we want them to be, and not cause harm to another human being? I can talk forever about how we want the world to be—the world that Jacob knew, that innocent world in St. Joseph, Minnesota. We refuse to let the man who took Jacob take that too.”

“One of my favorite quotes is by Pablo Casals, who said, ‘We must work to make the world worthy of its children.’ So why not do that?,” Patty proposed. “Let’s all work to build a world where kids can feel safe enough to follow their dreams.”
– Denise Gee Peacock

Photo of Jeffery Morehouse and Dr. Noelle Hunter outside the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (May 2023) — **>> Learn about the parent-authors’ advocacy work here.** *Shown above:* *Jeffery Morehouse and Dr. Noelle Hunter outside the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.*

Page showing various ways law enforcement can help share the new "Family Survival Guide" — **>> Check out “So What Can *You* Do?” to learn how to best use and promote the *Family Survival Guide* by clicking here.**

Unidentifiable man seated at computer screen that reads: "What should law enforcement understand about family needs and expectations when responding to missing child reports?" — **>> Read the *Family Survival Guide* authors’ advice for law enforcement by clicking here.**

Book cover of Patty Wetterling's new memoir, "Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope." Image shows her son Jacob and also a lantern. — >> Click here to read about Patty Wetterling’s new memoir, *Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope.*

Oklahoma AMBER Alert Coordinator & Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Ronnie Hampton

By Paul Murphy

Captain Ronnie Hampton began serving as Oklahoma’s AMBER Alert Coordinator in March 2020. Hampton also serves as the Commander of the Property and Evidence Division at the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP). He comes from a family of law enforcement; his grandfather and father were both police officers and elected sheriffs. Hampton’s own career in law enforcement began in 1988, working as a confinement officer, as well as an officer for both tribal and municipal police departments. He has worked the past 25 years with the OHP.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM AND WHAT HELPS MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL?

An all-hands-on-deck approach is the key to our success. Our media relations team is heavily involved from the moment we issue an AMBER Alert. We also implement a Signal One Plan, which involves having all state troopers in the 77 counties of Oklahoma stop their routine patrols and position themselves at strategic locations statewide to watch for the suspect’s vehicle. We also ask our troop commanders to work with their sheriffs and police chiefs to cover other locations where the suspect might be stopped and captured.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

I’m motivated by the thought of the trauma a parent goes through when their child is missing. It is critical for parents to know every possible avenue is being covered to return their child to them safe and alive.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE AMBER ALERT PROGRAM?

One of the most pressing challenges is the mass exodus of professionals in law enforcement who are retiring or leaving the profession. Adding to that challenge is the importance of constantly ensuring the newly promoted officers who take their positions are trained to respond effectively to missing and abducted child cases.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE?

I would like to increase criminal intelligence positions; we can always have more than one crime analyst working intel and vetting leads from the outset of the case. For example, one component of intelligence analysis is critical in these cases: Today’s technology requires experts to begin cellphone tracking within minutes.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORIES IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE? HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED?

About a year ago, a suicidal and homicidal non-custodial mother was released from jail. She immediately traveled to her father’s house and shot him in the head as he answered his front door. Her two children were next to her father and she took them to an unknown destination.

Our intel said she would murder her children and then commit suicide, so time was critical. We used the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system to issue a statewide AMBER Alert. The mother made a stop and a person who received the WEA saw her and called police.

The suspect then fled in the vehicle with her children. We issued another, more targeted WEA alert with the most recent information. Within 10 minutes, a local officer in the next county spotted the vehicle and started a 10-mile chase, eventually recovering both children safely.

In those situations I find the WEA sometimes reaches the on-duty officers more quickly than the dispatch center can disseminate a general broadcast over the radio.

We were told the children would likely not be recovered alive. The emotions I felt when I called the sheriff to let him know the children were safe was one of the best feelings in the world.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

Being in law enforcement the past 34 years, I thought I knew nearly everything there was to know. But the classes I’ve taken through NCJTC and NCMEC have opened my eyes. I also am learning from other states about programs they are doing for endangered and missing children. This knowledge has strengthened my commitment to ensure Oklahoma learns from all these robust, outstanding programs, and implements them for our citizens.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS?

Educate, educate, and educate. Start training the 911 operators, line-level officers, search and rescue teams, law enforcement administrators, and detectives on how quickly information needs to flow from the first moment a child is reported missing.

We should take every opportunity as AMBER Alert Coordinators to talk to law enforcement groups and conferences. It is important for everyone to know how the state’s AMBER Alert program works.

Left: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation badge Right: Arizona Department of Public Safety State Trooper vehicle

Citizen makes fateful call after multiple state AMBER Alert partners work together to recover missing Tennessee children

Authorities honor Good Samaritan who had a “gut feeling” about the children she saw on a California beach

By Paul Murphy

It began as an ordinary situation that progressively got worse. The case of missing 3-year-old Noah Clare started on November 7, 2021, after his non-custodial father didn’t bring him back to his home in Gallatin, Tennessee.

The next day, Noah’s mother, Amanda Ennis, contacted the Gallatin police to get an emergency motion to suspend parenting time and a temporary restraining order against Noah’s father, Jacob Clare. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued an Endangered Child Alert for Noah Clare and a 16-year-old cousin accompanying him.

Following a law enforcement investigation in Kentucky, authorities learned Clare might be carrying a handgun and military-style rifle. They also found he may have planned his actions months ahead of the incident. Investigators also were concerned about Clare’s relationship with his teenage niece. Authorities decided to charge Clare with kidnapping and the TBI issued an AMBER Alert November 16.

“Tennessee had law enforcement officers and agents working non-stop during the investigation in order to locate Noah safely,” said Shelly Smitherman, TBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Tennessee’s AMBER Alert Coordinator.

Arizona also issued an AMBER Alert that same day after the suspect’s vehicle was seen near the Arizona-California border.

“Tennessee did a fantastic job with this AMBER Alert. They called and coordinated with us as soon as they had credible information that the subject was heading to Arizona,” said Chrystal Moore, Arizona AMBER Alert Coordinator and Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper. “We were able to utilize the provided information from Tennessee to show the vehicle had traveled into our state.”

California Checks In

More information came forward about the suspect’s vehicle being abandoned in San Clemente, California, on November 11 and towed two days later. With the new details, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued an Endangered Missing Advisory, also known as an Ashanti Alert, on November 16.

The Ashanti Alert is similar to an AMBER Alert in that it can target the media and public in a specific geographic area but can also be used for missing people between the ages of 18 and 64. The alert also provides flyers on social media with details about the alleged suspect and victim.

CHP Sergeant and California AMBER Alert Supervisor Ed Bertola and his team spent the entire day gathering details and monitoring the situation. “We are committed to doing whatever we can to recover children,” said Bertola. “The name of the alert isn’t what makes it important. It’s the child. That’s our mantra.”

At the same time, Bertola was trying to balance the effort to rescue the child with the impact the notifications could have on the public. He feared oversaturating people with alerts.

Because of the timing and the lack of certain details, CHP did not send the message to cellphones via a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) or broadcast. Even without these two specific tools, the CHP led California’s effort to find the children, employing other investigative actions and resources, including significant dedication of personnel hours.

Chance Sighting

On November 18, Julia Bonin saw a boy matching Noah’s description on a flyer at an Orange County, California, beach. She was on her way to drop off her son at school but trusted her instincts to help local deputies make contact.

“This feeling just didn’t go away. It was very much instinctual and very much a gut feeling that just stayed with me,” Bonin told a reporter.

Acting on her tip, law enforcement safely recovered the children and took Clare into custody.

“There is no greater reward in this job when a child is found safe,” said Smitherman.

Julia Bonin with Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes

Five months later, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department honored Bonin at a ceremony that included a surprise appearance from Amanda Ennis and her son Noah.

“It’s been torture. It’s been a nightmare,” Ennis said after reuniting with Noah. “It’s something that I would never wish my worst enemy to go through.”

Clare was charged with kidnapping and multiple sexual abuse charges. A woman who told authorities she was Clare’s “spiritual advisor” has also been charged with a felony for allegedly helping plan the crime.

Lessons Learned

Information about missing child cases can evolve. What began as a custodial dispute case, would soon become an abduction plan, guns, and an improper relationship with a teenage girl. Although the decision to issue an AMBER Alert occurred several days after the initial report to law enforcement, investigators in Tennessee and Arizona went to work within hours, with California ultimately joining the effort. The three-state team would employ an array of investigative strategies and tools to find Noah.
- Noah’s Law: In March of 2022, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed HB2354 into law. “Noah’s Law,” enhances the process to issue AMBER Alerts involving custodial issues. Under the new law, after a child has been missing for 48 hours, a judge can issue an order declaring the child to be in imminent danger, clearing the way for an AMBER Alert.
An AMBER Alert isn’t the only tool to find missing children. “Ultimately, the person who identified the involved parties recognized them from a flyer, which is one of the most rudimentary things we do,” Bertola said. ”Think of all of the electronic messaging and next generation digital tools we have; and yet it came down to a flyer somebody saw while walking along a beach. There is no question that the EAS and WEA are important tools in our arsenal, but even when they aren’t used, we still have ways to provide actionable information to help communities engage in the mission.”
Relationships matter. Both the Tennessee and California AMBER Alert coordinators credit the importance of knowing AMBER Alert partners before an alert is needed. “We are very connected with our AMBER Alert partners and have developed those relationships by working and training together,” Smitherman said. “Both California and Arizona were so gracious and willing to assist us.”
Social media can help and hurt an investigation. The children were ultimately found because of a flyer created using a social media post. However, the case had a large social media following outside of law enforcement that included false information and posts that did not support investigation efforts. Monitoring social media to ensure information is posted accurately is critical to keeping the public updated with viable and actionable information to help law enforcement.

*Melissa Marchant, Wisconsin AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager*

Melissa Marchant has been Wisconsin’s AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager since May 2021. Last year Wisconsin had 11 AMBER Alerts, a record for the state. She started working for the State of Wisconsin as a janitor in 1990, right after graduating from high school. Marchant went on to work as a program assistant at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). She then became a criminal analyst, a position she has held for 18 years.

Marchant has been an advocate for criminal analysts as the president of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Analyst Network (WILEAN). Although she began actively participating in AMBER Alerts in late 2019, she was already a member of the Child Abduction response Team (CART) and worked as an analyst during callouts for cases involving missing persons.

She is a mother of two children, grandmother of four, and has always loved spending time with young ones. Marchant respects and appreciates law enforcement efforts in missing person cases. She also has profound admiration for families who hold on to hope while everyone is trying to find their missing loved one. “Our kids deserve the best resources and collaboration when they go missing,” said Marchant. “It is our job and duty to bring them home safe, and Wisconsin encompasses all of that.”

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL? We have amazing partners who help us disseminate information through many means as quickly as possible when we are trying to locate a child. The support and determination of these agency partners is truly amazing.

During an AMBER Alert in Wisconsin, you could be driving down the road and see it on the highway DOT signs, hear it on your radio, observe another message on outdoor advertising billboards and see it on the lottery terminals when pulling over for gas at a convenience store. In addition, TV, radio and social media help us get the message out. I’m truly amazed each time we issue an AMBER Alert by the vast and quick response from everyone.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN? When a child goes missing, I treat the situation as if it involved my own child or grandchild. I worry and pray for them like they were my own family. I do everything I can to bring them home safe and hopefully keep them out of danger. This job motivates me to keep hope alive and use all available resources to find missing children and bring them home safely.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM? I think the challenge we are constantly looking at is the timeliness of our alerts. We usually review each AMBER Alert about a week after the alert is issued to identify ways to expedite the process and learn from our experiences. There is no ‘big red easy button’ — it takes a tremendous amount of quick and effective coordination to make the alerts happen.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE PROGRAM? I am looking forward to expanding our online and social media presence. I believe that sharing online stories and posters of our missing will help us reach many more people than what is happening now.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED? I was a criminal analyst when Jayme Closs went missing in October 2018. I was attending our department’s in-service training with just an overnight bag. When our agency got the call to assist, I immediately requested to go to Barron County. I responded to the command post and set up tips and leads for the initial response. I then worked with the FBI to continue organizing and maintaining a strong system.

I remember not wanting to go back home, I just wanted to stay and help in any way I could. I stayed for 15 days, and it was difficult to leave. I felt so connected to this response and the search for Jayme, and the AMBER Alert brought in so many tips. The citizens did an amazing job of reporting anything they could to try and help locate her.

Ultimately, it was Jayme’s bravery and determination that allowed her to escape and return to her family in January 2019. I am inspired everyday by Jayme, a truly brave young woman who made the decision that she was going to escape and gain back her freedom.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN? My dedication to endangered and missing abducted children has been strengthened by my experiences in the Clearinghouse, working with families, law enforcement, NCMEC, and the AMBER Alert Program at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC). I also feel my role as a criminal analyst in DCI, prior to being the AMBER Alert Coordinator, gave me an advantage in assisting on missing person cases by providing me with invaluable resources and training. I worked side-by-side for years with special agents, detectives, officers, and prosecutors around the state to help bring missing persons home or violent criminals to justice.

I was excited to take on a role in which I could work with victims’ families more, but also continue to work with all the talented law enforcement individuals in Wisconsin to assist on missing person cases. Every time I see a face of a missing person it reminds me that they deserve to have someone looking
for them, and my goal is to do everything I can to return them home safely.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS? Establish and maintain strong and frequent communication with your partnered agencies; they are invaluable. Do what makes sense for your state. Each state has different needs based on their missing population and available resources. Also, take advantage of the FVTC training and regional meetings. Connect with community partners, as well as other AMBER Alert Coordinators, because these will truly be invaluable connections.

*Christopher Ramirez with his mother, Araceli Nuñez, immediately after his rescue. Credit: Grimes County Sheriff’s Office*

The chances of finding 3-year-old Christopher Ramirez alive dimmed as the days passed.

On Wednesday, October 6, 2021, Christopher’s mother, Araceli Nuñez, had been unloading items from their van at their Plantersville, Texas, home when a neighbor saw Christopher follow the family dog into the nearby woods. When Christopher’s mother returned for her son less than two minutes later, she learned what happened. A panicked search by the boy’s family and friends got underway, but within minutes the dog returned home — without Christopher. That’s when Grimes County law enforcement was contacted for help.

As the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office swung into action, Lieutenant James Ellis reached out for help from AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Associate Chuck Fleeger, a 35-year veteran law enforcement officer in Texas who currently serves as Executive Director of the AMBER Alert Network Brazos Valley (AAN-BV).

The AAN-BV, formed in 2003, is a collaborative effort between more than two dozen local law enforcement agencies throughout the Brazos Valley in Central Texas. Operating in conjunction with Texas’s AMBER Alert Network, the AAN-BV provides local, state, and federal emergency management resources, local media outreach, and more for cases involving abducted and missing at-risk children.

With Grimes County being an hour south of Fleeger’s home in the Bryan- College Station area, he began making daily 100- mile roundtrip visits to the area to do what he does best: strategizing how to supplement law enforcement resources while bolstering media outreach and anticipating future needs.

While Grimes County conducted search and canvass operations, Fleeger helped solve the first problem. “Based on our state’s criteria the case didn’t qualify for AMBER Alert, so we went with a Regional Endangered Missing Child Advisory, which would allow a Wireless Electronic Alert (WEA) to be issued,” Fleeger said. After securing a photo of Ramirez, he typed up a brief description of the child and was able to get a poster to the media and public within 30 minutes.

In coordination with Lieutenant Ellis, Fleeger began rallying resources from his network of law enforcement specialists.

“We don’t move in and take over, we try to fill in the missing gaps,” he explained. Fleeger enlisted help from an adjacent county’s fire department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and TEAM Adam. He called in a canine team and requested drone assistance. He suggested a mobile command post be set up away from where the investigation was taking place.

By the third day of the search, hundreds of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers, firefighters, law enforcement agents, and partners from federal, state, and local jurisdictions, as well as private search groups, led the charge while the news media and the public did its part. Investigators went door to door, checked surveillance cameras, pools, sheds, and even drained one pond while searching two others.

By the third day of the search, some suggested calling off the intensive effort, believing it impossible that a 3-foot-tall, 40-pound toddler could survive without sustenance or shelter for so long. But Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell was adamant. “We’re not leaving until we find him.” He called on the community to pray for the boy’s safe recovery as Christopher’s mother sobbed.

“My heart has a hole in it,” she said in Spanish.

That evening, Tim Halfin did just that with his Bible study class. Afterward he felt like God wanted him to go look for the boy.

The next morning, Saturday, October 9, Halfin set out on that mission at 9:45 a.m. Within an hour he heard what sounded like a child’s voice in distress near a pipeline in the distance. He called law enforcement to tell them his location — about 10 yards into a thicket off a road nearly five miles from Christopher’s home.

“It was overwhelming,” Halfin recalled. “First you think this is a dream, but then I realized that it was him. I cradled him on my hip and said, ‘Little man, God has a purpose for you.’ ”

Soon Christopher and his mother were reunited, both in tears. Her son was hungry, scratched up, dehydrated, and bug-bitten, but otherwise in good condition. “God put everybody here in his path,” Nuñez said.

Ramirez spent several days at Children’s Hospital at The Woodlands, north of Houston, before being released and escorted home. He returned in a hero’s fashion, accompanied by a procession of first-responder vehicles with lights flashing.

Finding Christopher “was definitely a miracle — one combined with a lot of dedication and teamwork,” Fleeger said.

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CASE

Fleeger is working on an all-inclusive case study about Ramirez’s search and recovery for AATTAP Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training. He is also preparing a brief overview of the case to discuss at the March 2022 AATTAP National Symposium. Meanwhile, he offers these words of wisdom:

“Never give up. And stay positive. Sheriff Sowell exemplified that by saying, ‘We’re not in recovery mode. We’re going to keep trying to find Christopher.’ And they did.”
“Cultivate strong working relationships and teamwork. Lieutenant Ellis had my cell number and called me directly. And I have others’ cell numbers and they have mine. We understand what we’re here to do and respond to the call.”
Pay attention to your team’s wellbeing. “I noticed that Grimes County Sergeant Martha Smith had been assigned to stay with Christopher’s mother the entire time,” Fleeger said. “I offered to find some Spanish-speaking support for her. She told me that although she was tired, she thought she could make it. The main thing that lifted her spirits was me simply asking, ‘Are you OK?’ ”
AATTAP training pays off. After seeing in an AATTAP training class how using a shortened URL (via bit.ly) in a WEA linked to a verified Twitter account allows more information to a greater audience, Fleeger tried it during the Ramirez case. “It was one of the coolest things,” he said. “I was standing there during a search briefing and saw everybody’s phones go off at the same time. Even in that little corner of Grimes County, the tweet reached more than 33,000 people.”
For states wavering on having a CART program, “Don’t,” Fleeger said. “They are incredibly valuable. You have to build up muscle memory through repetition to be ready for cases like these when they happen. And while child abductions are incredibly rare, the good thing is, many of the skill sets learned in CART training can be applied to any investigative response, from capital murder to an armed robbery,” he said. “A 99% success rate in canvassing is just not good enough.”

: Navajo Nation member Christopher Becenti at Window Rock Park’s “Ear of the
Wind” sandstone formation in Arizona. As Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Telecommunications
Regulatory
Commission
(NNTRC), Becenti is making meaningful strides in bolstering
the Navajo’s technological
infrastructure, which is vital for public safety. Less than half of all homes on the
reservation had fixed Internet service as of 2020, according to the American Indian Policy Institute, “but that’s rapidly changing,” Becenti said.
Credit: Navajo Nation

Yes WEA Can

With the Navajo Nation’s COVID-19 emergency response in high gear, tech leader Christopher Becenti is closing ‘the digital divide’ to make life safer in his community

May 2, 2016, was supposed to be a happy occasion for Christopher Becenti; it would mark his 30th birthday. “But it was one of the worst days I can remember,” he said. “All I could do was sit on the sidelines and watch” as confusion and grief shook the Navajo Nation to its core.

On that fateful day, 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike was abducted by a stranger near her home in Shiprock, New Mexico. Her family’s frantic outreach efforts to find her were fraught with jurisdictional misunderstandings and slow communication responses that delayed the issuance of an AMBER Alert by 12 hours. By then it was too late. Ashlynne had been brutally murdered.

The Navajo Nation vowed never to allow a similar situation to happen again. And Becenti, a tech-savvy member of the Navajo Nation who then worked in the private sector, knew “something had to be done,” he said. “I knew one day I wanted to help my people get better connected.”

In April 2018, the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act was enacted, providing the country’s 574 federally recognized tribes with funding and opportunities for more technology, training, and pathways to stronger partnerships with state, regional, and federal authorities.

Within a year of the law’s passage, Becenti was tapped by Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez to be the Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NNTRC). His task: untangle a web of problems posed by local and national wireless carriers and mobile device manufacturers to ensure Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) could be sent to everyone eligible to receive them.

He also needed to “creatively strategize how to expand broadband access to our most remote territories,” since he had few resources at the time.

A year into his position, however, the Navajo Nation would face down a devastating public health crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic, the Navajo Nation had been at the forefront of strengthening public safety infrastructure to bolster its emergency/crisis response capabilities, including AMBER Alerts. “The pandemic, however, accelerated everything we were working on,” Becenti said.

Though his mission is clear-cut, the work is not. But major advancements are occurring thanks to his tireless efforts, Navajo Nation leadership support, and COVID-19 financial relief from the U.S. government.

The Navajo Nation is the country’s largest Indian reservation, encompassing three states (Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah) and 27,000 square miles (about the size of West Virginia). But only a small percentage of its 173,000 citizens have access to broadband for reasons ranging from their homes being in remote locations to prohibitive costs. And 911 emergency services are problematic. When a Navajo Nation citizen uses a mobile phone or even a land line to call 911, the call is rerouted up to two times in order to reach the nearest law enforcement agency (LEA) communications center. Many Navajos who live in rural areas do not have standard addresses, and must rely upon P.O. boxes. In addition to the delay and potential dropped calls that rerouting causes, the lack of a street address can impede or altogether prevent the ability of the LEA to pinpoint the caller’s location.

These problems became painfully clear during the pandemic, when Navajo citizens could not immediately connect with emergency services. Reportedly, some citizens died trying to reach a payphone, or a neighboring home with telephone access (which might be 20 miles away) or while attempting to get to a place with a stronger cellular signal.

Additionally, people in remote areas could not receive COVID-19 WEAs or connect to online sources of news, specifically the Facebook page of Navajo Nation President Nez. “Many use computers at community centers, which shut down along with most public spaces,” Becenti said. “On top of that, people could not work from home or have their children learn remotely.”

: Lavina Willie-Nez, Deputy Director of the Navajo Nation’s Department of Emergency Management, sends an historic Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) to the Navajo Nation on March 23, 2020. “The Navajo Nation was among the initial alerting authorities, and the first from a tribal nation, to issue a live [WEA] as part of the COVID-19 public health emergency response,” said Bambi Kraus, National Tribal Affairs Advisor for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Credit: Navajo Nation

The situation was bleak, and a lot to tackle, but with lives at stake, Becenti set his sights on fixing WEAs, since many Navajos reported being unable to receive them on their cell phones.

After numerous conversations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Becenti began to see the big picture. And the source of the problems.

Becenti began working directly with a host of carriers to resolve technical issues while also enticing major carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile to invest in providing coverage to the Navajo Nation. And while he was able to rectify issues with Android phones that prevented some users from getting WEAs, one smartphone maker was a holdout: Apple. WEAs were inaccessible to phones sold by smaller companies who were unable to order units in the large numbers Apple required for the phones to be fully provisioned to accept WEAs. Becenti and smaller carriers that serve the Navajo Nation made numerous attempts to discuss the situation with Apple, but repeated calls and emails got them nowhere.

Fortuitously, when the FCC invited the public to submit comments about WEA concerns in early 2021, Becenti recognized the Navajo Nation needed to respond immediately. It would be their best chance at getting Apple to pay attention and resolve the situation.

On April 20, 2021, the NNTRC and Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President (OPVP) formally submitted comments to the FCC with the assistance of Washington D.C. area attorney James E. Dunstan of the Mobius Legal Group.

“Thankfully, our concerns were heard loud and clear,” Becenti said.

Within eight months, Apple announced all iPhone users who upgraded their software to iOS15 would have access to WEAs.

Despite feeling like David taking on Goliath, Becenti was amazed by the win. So was the Navajo Nation leadership. After Apple’s announcement, Navajo Nation President Nez said, “The safety of our elders and those most vulnerable is important as we keep our Navajo families informed of any emergency. We can now immediately alert the Navajo people should one of our family members go missing or there exists a public safety threat.”

“Now we have about 99% penetration of WEAs on our wireless devices,” Becenti said. “We just need everyone to update their iPhones to get to 100%.”

To mitigate COVID-19’s devastating impact on the U.S. economy, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law (Pub L. No. 117-2) on March 11, 2021. It built upon many of the measures of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 by ensuring affordability and access to broadband infrastructure for federally recognized Indian tribes/indigenous communities and other rural regions. Additional help followed with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), signed into law November 15, 2021.

Funding for the construction of new broadband connections across the Navajo Nation primarily stems from Legislation No. 0257-21, which provides more than $1.16 billion in ARPA funding.

In November 2021, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) began accepting applications from tribes for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which provides $980 million through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. (NTIA limits funding applications to $55 million per tribe.) And by December 1, 2021, the 24th Navajo Nation Council met to discuss allocation of the myriad ARPA funds and grant applications for broadband internet expansion and public safety.

: On January 4, 2022, Navajo Nation leadership signed Resolution CD-62-21, approving $557 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Navajo Nation. Credit: Navajo Nation

“Through the American Rescue Plan Act, our administration has a proposal before the Navajo Nation Council to allocate $208 million for broadband projects,” said Navajo Nation President Nez. “The Navajo Nation Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Office continues to look at many ways of leveraging many sources of funding to expand broadband for homes, first responders, schools, businesses, and others.”

Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer added, “We are very optimistic that these collective efforts will lead to many new towers, fiber lines, and high-quality internet for our Navajo people and communities.”

As millions of dollars in funding awaits approval and allocation, Becenti is working with Navajo Nation leadership to achieve a number of goals, including: creating a single network, FirstNet, to be dedicated for first responders; gradually consolidating the Navajo Nation’s seven emergency dispatch call centers into a single facility that has full 911 routing capabilities; completing the Nation’s rural addressing initiative, which will allow 911 dispatchers to see the caller’s location and develop a database for record-keeping; and partner “in more creative ways” with the Navajo Tribal Authority, the Nation’s utility company.

Beyond the technical achievements, Becenti is most deeply motivated by knowing WEAs are reaching the Navajo Nation and saving lives, while he works to “close the digital divide.”

Six children have been recovered following two separate AMBER Alerts thanks to WEAs that would not have been as widespread as they are now. “Knowing the public can now receive such alerts is an amazing feeling,” Becenti said. “Every minute counts when there’s an active AMBER Alert. We all have to be connected.”

Jon Roddenberry, Florida Clearninghouse Supervisor

Jon Roddenberry has worked for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for 23 years. He has been the supervisor for the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) since December of 2019.

Before that Roddenberry worked with the Sex Offender Registry to help locate absconded sex offenders and predators. The FDLE honored Roddenberry and his team in 2017 for Innovation of the Year for locating high-risk sex offenders in Florida.

The Registry and Clearinghouse work closely together and Roddenberry is grateful for the opportunity to use his experience and skills in helping locate missing persons.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert/missing persons program, and what do you think makes it successful?
In 2000, Florida became the second state in the nation to establish a statewide AMBER Alert program and in the years since we have always tried to utilize the latest technologies and systems to assist in alerting the public as well as searching and locating missing persons. Additionally, MEPIC has a squad of crime intelligence analysts that has been trained to not only issue alerts but to utilize the latest analytical and investigative systems in order to assist in the location of missing persons.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?
I have three daughters and always try to approach my job from the perspective of a parent who has a missing child or loved one.

Please share details about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert support the outcome? What were the most important lessons learned?
In March 2021, a young male diagnosed as non-verbal autistic wandered off from his home in Jacksonville, Florida. FDLE was contacted by local law enforcement in the area regarding the case and an Enhanced Missing Child Alert was issued by MEPIC. An Enhanced Missing Child Alert is similar to an AMBER Alert but on a smaller scale. It allows MEPIC to issue a targeted Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) to a defined area such as a neighborhood or area within a 5-mile radius of where the child went missing. As a result of the targeted WEA, a citizen who received the alert on their phone saw the child in the area and the child was recovered safely.

What makes these types of cases unique is that autistic children are more likely to wander from their homes. They are often drawn to water and more likely to drown than the general population. During the request for the alert, local law enforcement reported many nearby bodies of water in the immediate area of where the child went missing. So more than likely, the issuance of the alert and subsequent targeted WEA may have saved the child’s life.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?
I would like to see the continued use of the latest technologies to assist in notifying the public on AMBER Alerts. I would also like to see more resources on the state and federal level to assist states with funding to help build their Clearinghouses and missing persons programs in their states.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?
Training is huge. In MEPIC we do mock AMBER Alert calls on a regular basis with our analysts, alert coordinator and supervisors. This training helps ensure that when MEPIC receives a request for an AMBER Alert that everyone is prepared to disseminate the alert if needed in a timely, accurate and efficient manner. FDLE as an agency also provides strong analytical and professional development training to analysts that assist them in effectively doing their jobs.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?
Continue to seek out new technologies to assist with the issuance of alerts. Communicate with other states to inquire what types of alerts they issue and the technology they use to issue the alerts. Provide continual analytical training to your Clearinghouse staff and provide the resources needed for them to effectively do their jobs and assist with locating missing persons.

Shifting stories, multiple suspects and a missing 4-year-old child with autism: all elements that complicated a case involving an AMBER Alert issued in Connecticut on June 1, 2021. It all began when the mother of the boy asked her brother to babysit.

While babysitting, the uncle said a family friend and known drug addict asked to borrow his car and take the child out but he refused. He called his sister at 11:20 a.m. after he woke up from a nap and told her his car and the child were gone.

The boy’s mother called the Middletown Police Department and reported her son had been missing for 23 hours. Middletown officers requested an AMBER Alert at 6:00 p.m. The alert was approved by the Connecticut State Police 20 minutes later and the child abduction alert was issued at 7:52 p.m.

The alert provided details about the alleged abduction to all state troopers, broadcasters and the public. The alert was also posted on social media, electronic highway signs and a message distributed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

At 8:15 p.m., a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) message was disseminated to local law enforcement agencies and the License Plate Reader (LPR) system was activated. The agency also notified the FBI and state police in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Authorities discovered the missing vehicle was captured on camera heading south on the Berlin turnpike earlier in the afternoon. They also found the suspect’s cellphone pinging that evening near Wethersfield, Connecticut. Two different citizens called 911 and reported seeing the suspect’s vehicle at a motel in Wethersfield.

Officers found the vehicle but it was empty. A woman at the motel told police she saw two people running into the woods. A K9 officer and police dog began a search and found the suspect and her husband covered in mud.

They also discovered the missing boy crying hysterically. The couple was arrested and the boy was taken to a hospital as a precaution. The case was resolved at 8:52 p.m., exactly one hour after the AMBER Alert was issued.

“The alert provided crucial information to all law enforcement agencies and the child was located in a very timely manner,” said Connecticut State Police Lieutenant and State AMBER Alert Coordinator Robert Derry. “This is just another example of the AMBER Alert system working correctly.”

According to the police report, the suspect said she asked to borrow the uncle’s car to take the boy out. She said she picked up her husband from an emergency room after he had escaped from a halfway house. The woman said they bought cocaine and started getting high with the boy in the car and in the motel room. The woman claimed the child’s uncle had given her permission to take his car and had asked her to babysit.

The uncle later admitted to police that his brother had taken him to work and that he lied to his sister about the circumstances around her son’s disappearance. On June 3, the victim’s uncle was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a child.

Lt. Derry has been a trooper with the Connecticut State Police for 27 years. He is the Commanding Officer for the Central District Major Crime Squad as well as the state AMBER Alert Coordinator. The state police agency has 930 troopers and it manages and coordinates Connecticut’s AMBER Alert program.

“We are here to serve the public in our communities every day,” added Derry. “We all take our roles and responsibilities very seriously. We work very hard to protect the public and to keep everyone safe.”

Nacole Svendgard’s 15-year-old daughter Jessica was excelling in school. She was named first violin in the orchestra and played on the varsity and junior varsity soccer team in Auburn, Washington. Jessica was outgoing, vibrant and lit up the room when she walked in.

Nacole was beyond shocked in 2010 when she came home and found a 5-page letter from Jessica saying she loved her family but was running away and not to worry. The mother of three spoke on the first day of the 2021 National AMBER Alert and AMBER in Indian Country virtual symposium held August 17-19, 2021.

More than 170 participants from 46 states and territories took part in the virtual event to learn, network and identify areas to help strengthen efforts to find missing and abducted children. They included AMBER Alert coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers, Child Abduction Response Team (CART) leaders and other federal, state and Tribal partners.

Jessica’s Story

Nacole learned her daughter was being sex trafficked, raped, beaten and struggling to survive while her pimp was selling her on the online publication Backpage to strangers in Seattle. Nacole reported what happened to law enforcement. She finally got a call from Jessica, but she only said “I can’t come home.”

“I knew trafficking existed,” said Nacole. “I was one of those parents who thought it happened in the Philippines or another third-world country. It didn’t happen in my community and it definitely didn’t happen to my child.”

After 10 days of hunting for their daughter, Jessica approached a police officer and said she had run away and wanted to come home. Nacole explained that following her daughter’s recovery, rather than a clear after-care plan being in place, law enforcement and the community took a hands-off approach at that point and they assumed the teen was safe because she was now home.

Jessica didn’t want to talk to her family about what happened when she was gone. She went back to school, attended church and continued her violin lessons. However, three months later she ran again; lured away after the pimp contacted her on a hidden cellphone.

That’s when Nacole began her efforts to learn more about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and her state’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse. She sought resources available to families of sex trafficking victims. In explaining this part of the journey in her daughter’s experience, she emphasized the critical importance of those who are involved with endangered, missing and abducted child cases pursuing comprehensive training to learn how to assist victims of exploitation and trafficking, as they rarely say they want help due to the deception, fear, violence, and trauma bonding by which they are entrapped.

Eventually Jessica came home again and the family began therapy and met with other survivors for support. Jessica and her parents generously and bravely participated in the sex trafficking documentaries “I Am Jane Doe” and “The Long Night.” Jessica’s trafficker and one of the “johns” were convicted and sentenced to prison.

“I was 15. I should have experienced a childhood during my teenage years. I should be going to football games,” said Jessica to a network reporter. “Now I’m a proud survivor, a mother, a daughter, a sister. I am all of these things and I want to be known for who I am, and not just what’s happened to me.”

Jessica and her family became advocates for other sex trafficking victims, helped pass legislation and pursued lawsuits that put an end to Backpage. The family was invited to the White House in April 2018 for the signing of changes to the Communications Decency Act.

Comms Decency Act Signing — White House Signing of the Communications Decency Act, April 2018

National Perspective

Chryl Jones, Acting Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection (OJJDP), provided symposium participants with the perspective of the Department of Justice AMBER Alert Program. She noted that more than 1,000 children have been recovered safely because of AMBER Alerts.

Chryl Jones, Acting Administrator, OJJDP

“That number represents a lot of smiles that you’ve returned to the faces of people who couldn’t fathom ever smiling again when their child went missing or was abducted,” said Jones. “Your job is not easy, but it is a worthwhile one. Thank you for your dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of our nation’s children. You are the heroes they deserve.”

Janell Rasmussen, the newly appointed AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Administrator (AATTAP), thanked everyone for participating in the first virtual symposium.

“I know firsthand the passion, hard work and dedication that you all put forward in your work to find missing and abducted children,” said Rasmussen. “This work is tireless, it is demanding, it takes a toll on you mentally, physically, and on your heart in ways you never knew possible, but it is also rewarding. You make a true difference in the lives of children, for their families, and for the future of the AMBER Alert program.”

Jayme Closs Case Study

Barron County, Wisconsin, Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald offered a detailed look into the abduction of Jayme Closs on October 5, 2018. The case received national attention when Jake Patterson took the 13-year-old girl after fatally shooting her parents and then keeping her hidden in his home for 88 days until she escaped on January 10, 2019.

Fitzgerald stressed the importance of developing a plan and close relationships with other law enforcement agencies, the media, and community groups - before you face a complicated and high-profile case like this one.

“Because you never know when this day is going to happen,” said Fitzgerald. “I never thought in my career I would touch anything like this, but this happened here--and it happens everywhere.”

The Sheriff said so many people wanted to volunteer to help at first that he had to learn to say no to protect the investigation and his limited resources. He emphasized how important it was to provide plenty of food for everyone working on the case and to have a photographer to document major milestones and the community response. Amidst the length and complexity of the case, he earnestly shared how rewarding it was to find Jayme alive.

“Jayme is doing great now,“ said Fitzgerald. “I just think you never give up hope, no matter how negative it is or how frustrated you are.”

Honoring an AMBER Alert Leader

Mark Simpson, Retired Detective, Arlington, TX, PD and NCJTC Associate

AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen presented a special award to Mark Simpson. Simpson was a detective for the Arlington, Texas, Police Department and the lead investigator in the abduction and murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman on January 13, 1996. He helped create the first AMBER Alert Plan and has been sharing his knowledge on AMBER Alerts and child abduction investigations through AATTAP course curricula, training events and contributions to the development of multiple resources for more than two decades before retiring this year.

“Mark was always willing to help any AMBER Alert coordinator in any way. His work, his genuine kindness, his passion, are just some of the things that make Mark the legend he is with this program. I cannot imagine the AMBER Alert program without Mark Simpson,” Rasmussen shared. “His work is legendary, and his commitment to this program has been unwavering. How better to recognize Mark today than to honor him in partnership with the coordinators who continue this work across this country and beyond?”

Phil Keith, the first AATTAP Administrator, praised Simpson for his knowledge, integrity and humility. “Integrity is incredibly important when it comes to training; making sure you have individuals who are qualified or experienced, and have a passion to help others gain the insights and abilities to be as successful as the instructors,” Keith said. He noted how Mark’s tenure and training outcomes epitomized his knowledge and integrity.

Jim Walters, his predecessor, also praised Simpson for his willingness to train others. “I’ve never worked with anybody who has a greater knowledge of how to handle or manage an investigation, and at the same time having the empathy and care for the people we serve,” said Walters.

Simpson said he was humbled by the award and that training others about missing and abducted children has been a highlight of his career. “There is no greater group of people than those who are absolutely committed to finding children and bringing those responsible for the crimes they committed to justice,” said Simpson.

Session Presentations

In addition to the USDOJ-OJJDP welcoming message, family perspective presentations from Nacole Svengard (luring and trafficking) and Pamela Foster (Abductions in Indian Country and AMBER Alert needs), and the case study presentation from Sheriff Fitzgerald, symposium participants enjoyed engaging with informative presentations on a variety of topics delivered by subject matter experts in their respective fields. Topics included:

Secondary Trauma and Traumatic Stress
Community Response to High-Risk Missing Victims
Crucial Digital Follow-Up and Recovery in Missing, Runaway and Endangered Child Cases
Long-Term Missing and Unresolved Abduction Homicides
Developing an AMBER Alert Plan for Tribal Communities
Child Abductions: Current Trends in Technology
Search and Canvass in Missing and Abducted Child Cases
Legal Issues in Missing and Abducted Child Cases
Technological and Specific Resources Needed to Support Tribal AMBER Alerts
Updates from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
AATTAP-AIIC Resources for the Field

Networking: Breakout Sessions for Collaboration Across States and Roles

One of the most important components of the symposium took place through regional breakout sessions where participants across states and disciplines could meet (or reconnect) with one another and discuss best practices and challenges through a facilitated series of topical questions, including:

Case Studies: Relevance in training and recommendations for new case study development
Technology advancements such as WEA’s hyperlink integration and geo-fencing
Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training and resource needs
High-risk victims and special needs populations: Understanding, identification and effective response
Best practices for and challenges with multi-state AMBER Alerts
Internet/Social Media luring into sexual exploitation and trafficking: identification and effective response with runaway youth
Effective administration of AMBER Alerts in light of the emergence of multiple public alerts (such as Silver, Blue, Green, etc.)
Best practices for and challenges with multi-state AMBER Alerts
Challenges in providing training during the pandemic

In addition to breakout sessions, the 2021 symposium’s virtual delivery platform, Whova, provided tools and features designed to promote introductions and information/idea sharing, along with session and overall event feedback.

AATTAP-AIIC and NCMEC Resources

In addition to the symposium, AATTAP-AIIC provides a wealth of additional training and resources. AATTAP Project Coordinator Bonnie Ferenbach invited participants to regularly check The AMBER Advocate and AMBER Alert in Indian Country websites for the latest news updates, downloadable resources, and training opportunities, including self-paced eLearning, webinars and live-instructor led courses.

Ferenbach urged AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers and Child Abduction Response Team (CART) leaders to use the secure AMBER Alert Portal located within the AMBER Advocate website; where they will find contact information for colleagues in other states, a partners discussion board, a resource library built upon the AMBER Alert plans and related child protection resources developed by the states, and more.

“You can share with other partners in a secure way, and can share templates, forms and documents that will help other partners so no one has to reinvent the wheel,” said Ferenbach.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a vital AATTAP-AIIC partner. As part of this year’s updates from NCMEC, Dr. John E. Bischoff III, NCMEC’s Vice President of the Missing Children Division, said the organization has expanded efforts to locate children with autism and kids living in tribal communities.

NCMEC Is also revamping the missing children posters for the first time since 2012. The new posters are more mobile-friendly and include QR codes that link to a website with more information about each case.

“We want to make it easier for them to find information, easier for them to share the poster faster and keep that image of a missing child out in the community,” said Bischoff. “So when they see our poster, they know what to do and they can take action right away.”

NCMEC has created new partnerships with the Outdoor Advertising Association for electronic billboards and automated license plate reader (ALPR) companies. The organization is also expanding efforts to collect biometrics (unique physical characteristics) and DNA samples to help track and identify missing children.

Deborah Flory has been with the Maryland State Police since 1996. She is assigned to the Criminal Enforcement Division’s (CED) Child Recovery Unit (CRU) as the AMBER Alert and Silver Alert Coordinator. Her assignment in CED began in 2003, and included the AMBER Alert program. The Child Recovery Unit (CRU) utilizes specialized computer skills and cell phone knowledge to track and locate critical missing and abducted children in Maryland. Flory is also a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crimes Against Children Task Force, Special Deputy - U.S. Marshal, with full federal authority focusing on trafficking of juveniles.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert/missing persons program, and what do you think makes it successful?
Our program is unique in the fact our unit has full authority to issue an AMBER Alert or Silver Alert. Most programs have a long chain of command or need an outside commission to issue. Our command staff has full trust in our process, which cuts out a lot of wasted time and delays when issuing the alert.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?
The family of the missing. Knowing this is the most critical time and can be the difference between life and death. That’s what motivates me.

Please share details about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert support the outcome? What were the most important lessons learned?
The AMBER Alert program has made all our alerts memorable. The alert has worked to make a speedy return or resolution. No matter how much time is lost from the time the missing child is reported until the time a police department makes the AMBER Alert request, in most cases the suspect gets the alert and releases or returns the child.

How have your career and life experiences, including your work as an AMBER Alert Coordinator, strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing and abducted children?
When I was assigned to CRU and the AMBER Alert program, I knew I wanted to finish my career here. Nothing is more rewarding than helping missing and endangered children.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?
I would love to see a National AMBER Alert; the time needed to alert other states is too slow.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?
I would like to think I have attended every missing persons training there is, and every time I learn something new. The technology training alone has helped in locating missing, technologically savvy kids.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?
Streamline your process. Time is of the essence.

Three men burst into a St. Joseph, Missouri, home and took a two-year-old girl at gunpoint and then fled with the child. Police say the non-custodial father had a physical confrontation with the mother before leaving.

The alleged abduction took place on March 15, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. Authorities received the call about the kidnapping seven minutes later.

At 4:20 p.m., communication operators Melanie Stallsworth and Kristen Bartles, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, took a call about the armed home invasion and child abduction and immediately notified those responsible for issuing alerts.
A conference call with the St. Joseph Police Department was quickly established and an AMBER Alert was requested.

Missouri AMBER Alert Coordinator and State Highway Patrol Captain Corey Schoeneberg said recent events helped inform the decision about whether to issue an alert. This case involved a non-custodial father; and the event occurred less than one month after a separate incident in which a custodial parent killed two of his children before committing suicide.

“Making a judgement call as to what is a credible threat, reasonable threat, sufficient evidence of harm or whatever the language used may be, is not an easy call; and sometimes it is best to err on the side of caution,” said Schoeneberg. “Like all cases, a judgment call was made quickly based on the information available.”

AMBER Alert issued

Alternate AMBER Alert Coordinator Lieutenant Kevin Hunter was on duty and discussed with his team the scope and content of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). A regional activation was approved, and the AMBER Alert was issued at 4:34 p.m., just 14 minutes after the request was made.

Missouri partners with Twitter and the WEA message includes a uniform resource locator (URL). The link directs the public to Twitter where the public can access the AMBER Alert bulletin.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation and discovered the suspect’s vehicle – but it was empty. The suspect learned from his former employer about the AMBER Alert and he voluntarily surrendered himself and the child at the St. Joseph Police Department at 5:21 p.m., only 47 minutes after the alert was issued. The AMBER Alert was cancelled three minutes later.

Lessons learned

“Our immediate thoughts revolve around the relevance of the AMBER Alert in this case; however, the fact the child was safely recovered and returned to the mother provides a sense of relief,” said Schoeneberg.

“You always have a huge knot in your stomach every time a child goes missing and you want to make sure that you find that child as quickly as possible; safe, healthy and unharmed,” Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett shared with reporters.

St. Joseph Police Detective Sergeant Jason Strong added that it can be difficult to distinguish whether a child custody situation constitutes an emergency situation, and warrants an AMBER Alert - but he is grateful the alert was issued.

“Being able to engage the public through media, and with alerts and billboards, it’s very helpful,” said Strong. “Statistically, the longer that a child goes missing, the worse the outcome could be. So we want to get a child back as soon as possible.”

After each AMBER Alert, a review takes place on what worked and what can be improved to get a full perspective on the incident. Schoeneberg said they reached the conclusion the alert went to a broader area than necessary, but overall the alert worked exactly as it should.

“This case highlights the role communications personnel, even when not directly involved in the investigation, can have on the notification process,” said Schoeneberg. “Time is such a critical component of any missing child, and communications personnel realized the circumstances may meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert. This decision saved precious minutes and expedited contact with AMBER Alert Program Coordinators.”

Recognition for a job well done

On April 28, the Missouri State Highway Patrol honored the two communications operators for their roles in saving the child. Kristen Bartles said their training at the law enforcement academy was critical to their ability to act quickly.

“While I was down there, we had (Assistant Chief Paula Heckes) come to speak with my class, basically saying, in the event of any kind of possible alert, notify them immediately,” said Bartles.

Melanie Stallsworth said she is grateful communications operators are being recognized for their role in AMBER Alerts.

“You don’t have to carry a gun, you don’t have to be out in the field,” said Stallsworth. “You can still serve our public; you can still serve law enforcement and not be one of the guys on the front line.”

Looking back, Schoenberg said every AMBER Alert partner in Missouri has the same goal: “The motivation of all those involved is based on the fundamental duty to safeguard lives and protect the innocent.”

For nearly four decades the U.S. has been recognizing National Missing Children’s Day as a way to raise awareness of missing and abducted children and to teach parents how to keep kids safe. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day, six years after Etan Patz went missing. The disappearance of the six-year-old New York City boy launched a movement to create legislation and programs to better understand the scope and scale of issues around missing children, and to respond more effectively to locate and safely recover them.

In 2001, May 25 was also recognized as International Missing Children’s Day, thanks to the efforts of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) and the European Commission. The forget-me-not flower is recognized as the emblem for the international day.
“We remember today all missing children; those who have been recovered and reunited with their families and those who have not come home,” said Janell Rasmussen, Administrator for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP). “We honor them and their families as their fight continues, and we support and advocate for them daily as we stand side by side with them to protect, recover and reunite all children. We also honor all those who have done so much to protect children, recover the lost and prosecute the predators across the nation.”

2021 National Missing Children’s Day

On this year’s 38th annual National Missing Children’s Day, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized those who have made extraordinary efforts in protecting children from harm and bringing perpetrators to justice. While an in-person awards ceremony did not take place due to precautions around the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOJ continued its tradition of presenting law enforcement and community awards through virtual and other web platforms.

Four detectives and one sergeant of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office’s Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force were recognized for their joint investigation that resulted in the arrest of 34 sexual predators. The officers received the Attorney General’s Special Commendation for “Operation COVID Chatdown.” The summer 2020 campaign targeted perpetrators who sought to take advantage of the increased presence of children online during the pandemic.

“These five highly skilled and resourceful officers uncovered a well-organized and very disturbing scheme to exploit and harm children in the midst of a pandemic when young people were especially vulnerable to online predators,” said Amy Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.”

The DOJ also honored others for their efforts to protect children:

Missing Children’s Citizen Award - U.S. Postal Service employee Keith Rollins received the award for helping locate a 2-year-old boy who went missing after he followed an adult out of his house.
Missing Children’s Law Enforcement Award - Addison, Illinois, Police Department Sergeant Stefan Bjes was recognized for training 15 police departments across the Midwest and presenting at national police conferences about enhancing the safety of children with special needs.
Missing Children’s Child Protection Award - Amanda Leonard and Kaleilani Grant from the Hawaii Attorney General’s Missing Child Center received the award for implementing Operation Shine the Light, a joint effort between law enforcement and non-profit agencies to help recover 180 missing children from November 2019 to November 2020.
Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest - Dodge City, Kansas, fifth-grader Heidy Jimena Perez Veleta was honored as the winner of the national poster contest for her artwork which depicts two hands forming a heart around a small child.

Click here for more details about each of the National Missing Children’s Day honorees.

Other 2021 National Missing Children’s Day Activities

Law enforcement agencies and child advocacy groups also recognized National Missing Children’s Day at the state and local level. Here is a small sample of activities held:

In Cleveland, Ohio, the FBI and Cleveland Police Department set up a booth at a shopping mall to offer tips to parents on how to keep their kids safe.
In Rochester, New York, cyclists participated in a 350-mile, cross-state ride to raise awareness and funds for missing children efforts and to celebrate the life of Brittanee Drexel, who went missing in 2009.
In Dallas, Texas, the Texas Center for the Missing and Clear Channel Outdoor Americas used digital billboards throughout the state to show an age-progressed photo of Maria Elizalde, a 17-year-old girl who went missing in 2015.

2021 International Missing Children’s Day

ICMEC and AMBER Alert Europe, the umbrella organization for most child abduction alert systems in Europe, highlighted this year’s International Mission Children’s Day by releasing a video showing how a TikTok dance challenge is being used to educate teenagers about signs of child grooming. The viral video kicked off a global prevention campaign #CheckBeforeYouChat. A month before May 25, the song “Love Birds,” secretly containing the five stages of online grooming in its lyrics, was officially released on the popular TikTok app. Another video was released later showing the dancers standing still and revealing the true meaning behind the TikTok challenge. More information about the campaign can be found here.

AMBER Alert Europe recently released its 2020 Annual Report, which documents that 800,000 people go missing in Europe each year, with half of those missing being children. In its ongoing work, the organization reports the formation of new alliances with national police forces in Finland, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Kosovo, Serbia, North-Macedonia, and Hungary; and with NGOs and child protection agencies in Greece, Albania, Israel, Portugal and Spain. Click here for the full report.

The Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) leveraged International Missing Children’s Day to draw greater attention to cases of missing children across Canada. The society is urging the public to sign up for alerts and help in the search for missing children.

Final Thoughts

AATTAP Administrator Janell Rasmussen also used the day to discuss future activities to protect missing and abducted children. Those efforts include holding virtual meetings in 2021 to discuss strengths and challenges for all state AMBER Alert and Missing Children Clearinghouse programs. The “50 States Initiative” will include facilitated discussions with key program representatives from each state and will focus on understanding their needs around training and technical assistance which can inform and support best practices for law enforcement response and processes related to AMBER Alert and related public alerting programs.

“Each child recovered as a result of an AMBER Alert, good police work and involvement and help from the public is a success,” added Rasmussen. “We work continuously to improve our program in providing training, technical assistance and resources through the U.S. Department of Justice to help law enforcement and other child protection workers to prevent abductions and quickly recover missing children.”

Carla Proudfoot has been with the Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons since October 1985. She is the state’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager and assisted in the creation and implementation of the Maryland AMBER Alert Program in August 2002.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert/missing persons program, and what do you think makes it successful?

Our AMBER Alert plan is only activated by the Maryland State Police on behalf of other police agencies in the state. We strive to get the alert out as quickly as possible; we have timed the process, and have seen dissemination within eight minutes. I think having one entity issuing, vetting the information, and making the decision makes it happen very quickly. Only the AMBER Alert coordinators make the decision, based on each case meeting the criteria.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?

I ran away when I was 12. I vividly remember what it was like. In my opinion, it seems as though the “runaway” is not a concern for the general public, unless it’s their child. These children need help, and they don’t get any.

Please share details about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert support the outcome? What were the most important lessons learned?

Unfortunately, the one I remember most was the first one, but it did not end well. The child was deceased before the parent ever reported the child missing. Most of our success stories are because of issuing the AMBER Alert. The abductor sees the alert and leaves the child somewhere, or contacts the police or reporting person.

How have your career and life experiences, including your work as a Clearinghouse Manager strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing, and abducted children?

I am very passionate in getting help for the kids falling through the cracks. Sometimes too passionate. In 36 years, I’ve seen some change, but not nearly enough. I have been saying for too many years that the kids need help now, the current system in place is not helping. No one wants to provide money to help, but if they don’t receive some help, we will be paying for them in the future when they are part of our homeless population or dealing with HIV, drug or alcohol addiction, etc.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?

I would like the AMBER Alert and the Silver Alert to be the only alerts. The more alerts there are, the less likely people will pay them any attention.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?

I believe it has helped that the AMBER Alert plans are similar and share much the same criteria. Meeting and working with other state coordinators has assisted us in cases where the child has been taken to another state. We know them, they know us, and as a result we meet with very little opposition in gaining assistance.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?

Stick to the criteria, and keep politics out of it as much as possible. Remember the reason for the alert is to save a child’s life.

The premise of the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds” is that cars can be stolen in a minute or less. Unfortunately, that short time frame was the real-life situation after a mother left her one-year-old son in the back of her vehicle to grab something from their Minneapolis, Minnesota, home before leaving.

At 12:21 p.m. on February 6, 2021, the mother’s white Jeep Grand Cherokee was taken with her baby still inside. The Minneapolis Police Department contacted the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) at 12:52 p.m. about issuing an AMBER Alert.

Janell Twardowski, Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator

“The situation met Minnesota’s AMBER Alert criteria for a stranger abduction, so the BCA quickly worked with the Minneapolis Police Department to gather the information and issue an alert,” said Janell Twardowski, Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator.

BCA issued the AMBER Alert at 1:49 p.m. through the Minnesota Crime Alert Network, Wireless Emergency Alert, and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Under the Minnesota plan, the EAS messages are broadcast on radio and television and a Crime Alert is distributed to media outlets statewide.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are sent to all compatible cellphones in Minnesota. The alert is also shared on social media and goes to electronic highway signs and billboards.

“It was winter in Minnesota; the weather added a heightened concern with the low temperatures that day,” added Twardowski.

The AMBER Alert was heard and seen by thousands of Minnesota residents, including Barbara Gusse. She saw the alert on her phone while she was feeding the birds outside her Brooklyn Center home.

Gusse grabbed her birdwatching binoculars and focused on a SUV that had been idling for about 20 minutes at a church parking lot across the street. She checked the license plates and discovered the plate was an exact match with the vehicle in the AMBER Alert.

Gusse contacted the police at 2:40 p.m. Seven minutes later, police confirmed the child was safe and asked for the alert to be canceled.

WCCO reporter Justin DeRusha interviewed Gusse shortly after the child was found. DeRusha’s cellphone interview was shared on Twitter and has since gone viral with more than 300,000 views. “I was crying,” Gusse said. “I’m just so happy. I could hear that little thing crying when they opened the door. I’m just glad he’s OK.”

Gusse said she is not a hero—just a grandmother of nine who wanted to make sure the child was safe. The Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator said Gusse’s actions played a significant role in the safe recovery of the child.

“Her keen awareness to notice the vehicle parked in her neighborhood and quick actions to notify authorities were remarkable and were exactly what we ask the public to do when an AMBER Alert is issued,” said Twardowski.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was so impressed with what happened he named February 9, 2021, as “Barbara Gusse Day.” The mayor posted his delivery of the proclamation on Facebook.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey presents Barbara Gusse with the “Barbara Gusse Day” proclamation

“You are that important to our city,” said Mayor Frey. “You certainly saved a life and you should be honored. We as a city are eternally grateful for (your) attentiveness and swift action that led to the heartwarming end of a terrifying day.”

Minnesota’s AMBER Alert Plan has been operational since 2002. BCA has issued 39 AMBER Alerts as of May 1, 2021. Minnesota’s AMBER Alert Program has established many partnerships that provide resources to disseminate AMBER Alert information as quickly as possible throughout Minnesota.

Twardowski said training and preparedness are instrumental when issuing an AMBER Alert. Each alert is different she said, so continuous education and training is needed to ensure AMBER Alerts are activated smoothly and effectively.

“The AMBER Alert Plan worked just as it is meant to work,” said Twardowski. ” Working with our partners and the public to find missing and abducted children is rewarding work. I am honored to be part of the AMBER Alert Program in Minnesota.”

When Jim Walters looks back at all the accomplishments he made while he was the program administrator for AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP), his biggest feat may be fulfilling a promise to a distraught mother. Walters pledged to Pamela Foster to make a real difference in helping missing and abducted children in Indian Country after her daughter was abducted and murdered.

Ashlynne Mike was kidnapped and killed May 2, 2016, near Shiprock on the Navajo Nation Reservation. The case highlighted gaps in public safety preparedness and coordination for tribal children across the country.

Walters worked with Foster to pass the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act in April 2018. The new federal law supports integration of tribal AMBER Alert plans with state plans and provided grants to help tribes improve communications and responses for missing and abducted children in Indian Country.

“What I have enjoyed most about working with Jim is his kindness and compassion,” said Foster. “I felt like I was with a superhero when my world was falling apart. He believed in me to make changes for a better tomorrow, for our native children. I could not have done what I did without his help.”

Before Walters became the program administrator, he had overseen the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative (AIIC) for ten years; and for six years during that same time period he also headed the Southern Border Initiative (SBI), coordinating child abduction recovery efforts in Mexico and U.S. border states.
“Tribes face a number of challenges; ones most of us don’t consider on a day-to-day basis,” said Walters. “I remember this officer who told me how the training really helped when an AMBER Alert was issued. I believe drawing on the right resources and improving the speed and efficiency of their response can make the difference between the safe recovery of children - or losing them.”

Walters officially retired as program administrator for the AMBER Alert program in February 2021, but said his heart will never be far from its people—especially the children. During his tenure, Walters expanded efforts with Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training, AIIC, SBI, and provided important leadership with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, guiding all aspects of AATTAP as staff and associates worked to swiftly create additional modes for training and technical assistance delivery, including virtual, live instructor-led training (VILT), virtual meetings for regional and state-level events, and increased marketing toward greater awareness of AATTAP’s existing on-demand, self-paced eLearning courses and recorded webinars.

Those who have worked with Walters on the AIIC Initiative say his work to help tribes has been unparalleled.

“Jim elevated tribal nations to the level where they could receive education and training to protect their children,” said Tyesha Wood, AIIC Project Coordinator. “He is the wind beneath my wings.”

“Thank you so much Jim for all you do for Indian Country,” added Chelsa Seciwa, AATTAP-NCJTC Project Specialist. “God bless you. May our Creator watch over you.”

Those remarks were given during a ‘surprise’ online farewell tribute, held February 19 via Zoom. AMBER Alert partners from around the country gathered to offer their thoughts and thanks to Walters.

Janell Rasmussen joined AATTAP as its new program Administrator in February, working with Walters to transition into the new role. She brings to the position nearly 20 years of experience through her coordination of the Minnesota AMBER Alert Program and related child protection work with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Rasmussen helped launch the AMBER Alert program in Minnesota in 2002, serving as the state coordinator while also supervising the state Missing Persons Clearinghouse for 16 years.

Rasmussen also brings with her the experience and insights of having collaborated with other AMBER Alert partners and AATTAP for many years through state-level training, regional events, and national networking at AATTAP symposium gatherings. Most recently, she served as AATTAP’s Region 3 Liaison before accepting the program administrator position. Rasmussen is the third program administrator since Phil Keith led the US Department of Justice’s launch of AATTAP in 2004.

Rasmussen expressed her gratitude for Walters’ work with AMBER Alert. “Thank you for your dedication to protecting kids and for your work with the AMBER Alert program,” she said. “Your passion for the AMBER Alert Program will live on through your team and the partners that have come together to protect kids as a result of your work. We will make you proud.”

Not surprisingly, Walters said the credit goes to everyone who supported him. “None of this happened because of me,” he said. “It was every one of you that made this happen. You have a very special place in my heart for what you have done for the families we serve.”

“Thank you for your genuine heart and your leadership. You certainly paved the way and will leave a legacy for so many.” Yesenia Leon-Baron, Region 1 AATTAP Liaison

“We’re seeing a lot of good things happen with the AMBER Alert program across the board and you’re responsible for making us all shine.” Derek VanLuchene, AATTAP CART Program Coordinator

“Jim really stresses the importance of teamwork and the common goal - to recover a missing child and reunite a family. ” Beth Alberts, Texas Center for the Missing CEO

“Jim’s commitment to child safety is unmatched. His contributions to the AMBER Alert program and his extensive training of law enforcement and other child-serving professionals has certainly made this world a safer place for children.” John E. Bischoff III, NCMEC Missing Children Division VP

“I enjoy Jim’s passion. He makes you feel like you are his best friend and that you are important to him. ” Regina Chacon, New Mexico AMBER Alert Coordinator

“I enjoy Jim’s sense of humor, his compassion and willingness to support others.” Helen Connelly, NCJTC-FVTC Associate

“I have enjoyed and will remember Jim most for his professionalism and dedication to everything he does.” Byron Fassett, JCJTC-AATTAP Program Manager

“Jim is a ‘go to’ person for knowledge and experience; we will definitely miss having him here.” Carri Gordon, AATTAP Region 5 Liaison

“Jim is a legend in the AMBER Alert/missing children/child protection community. His energy, ideas and passion uplifts all of us working in the field when we need it most.“ Amanda Leonard, Hawaii Missing Children’s Center Coordinator

“Jim has a huge heart and really cares about the people he works with and teaches. I will miss his smiling face, his encouraging manner and his humor.” Cindy Neff, New York Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

“Jim has a lot of great ideas and isn’t afraid to try things that we don’t typically do.” Jill Nysse, NCJTC-AATTAP Project Coordinator

“It’s something special to have colleagues you can work with so easily and joyfully, which we are lucky to see a lot of in the AMBER Community, especially with Jim.” Carly Tapp, NCMEC Program Specialist

Corporal Shawn Kofluk is the Pennsylvania Missing Person Clearinghouse Manager and AMBER Alert Coordinator. He is the supervisor of the Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit (CIA) at the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and supervises seven AMBER Alert designees.

Kofluk has done undercover work and has been with the PSP for more than 25 years. He’s been involved in numerous homicide and large-scale criminal investigations—including cases involving the Nalani Johnson abduction and murder, child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky, serial murderers, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and a prison guard who was convicted as a serial rapist.

Kofluk has received numerous awards and commendations, including Trooper of the Year. He was recently interviewed for an episode of the TV show “Bloodline Detectives.”

He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and worked in the mental health field for several years prior to going into law enforcement. He is married with four children.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert and missing persons programs, and what do you think makes them successful?

Currently we have eight AMBER designees who can issue both AMBER Alerts and Missing Endangered Person Alerts (MEPA). We implemented a policy requiring monthly trainings and mock alerts to keep everyone prepared.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?

Probably the thought of my own children being abducted or missing. Having seen these types of investigations and knowing what abductors are capable of gives me with perspective. This is a parent’s worst nightmare and I never want to see any family go through something like this.

Tell us about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert support the outcome? What were the most important lessons learned?

The very first AMBER Alert I issued involved multiple children. I was experiencing technical issues with our software and kept running out of time for the recording because we had so much descriptive information for the children and abductor. As soon as I got the recording right, some background noise ruined it.

Regardless, I stayed calm and I was able to work through all the problems. We issued the AMBER Alert and recovered the children safely. I learned that as long as I stay calm and rely on all resources, we can work through any issues that may arise.

How have your career and life experiences, including your work as an AMBER Alert Coordinator, strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing, and abducted children?

I have a unique perspective because I’m a parent and I have investigated many horrible crimes over the years. Once you become involved with the AMBER Alert program, it sort of takes on a life of its own, and you find yourself becoming very protective over your state’s program. It helps me understand the importance of protecting the integrity of our program.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?

I would like to see our AMBER Alert program continue to grow and find new ways to get AMBER and MEPA alerts out quicker. I would also like to see our CIA Unit continue to provide training to state and municipal law enforcement entities to prepare them to respond to an abducted child emergency.

We are working on a new initiative involving an annual web-based training that will be mandatory. This training would provide our people with knowledge on how to activate an AMBER Alert, the activation criteria, and the importance of speed when issuing and responding to these types of emergencies.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?

Training is crucial. In my opinion, you can never have enough. Whether you are training first responders on how to handle a child abduction emergency or training AMBER Alert designees on how to actually put out an alert, it all has one goal in mind, the quick response and activation of the alert to save the life of a child.

Our unit teaches as much as we can, and we are always looking to find new audiences and formats to push out training. We are constantly educating and updating police officers, prosecutors, judges, lawmakers, members of the media, and the public about our AMBER Alert program.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?

Implement policies requiring training within your department on how to respond to child abduction emergencies, time factors involved, and issuance procedures for an AMBER Alert. Our policy requires officers to take the training, so they better understand the program.

Institute a training protocol for AMBER Alert designees that includes holding drills and other exercises to prepare for issuing an alert. The policy is needed so folks don’t become lazy.

Push for checklists within your department, specifically for first responding officers. The checklists ensure officers have all the appropriate information needed for issuing an AMBER Alert which helps to prevent any delays.

Always be on the lookout for new technology to achieve quicker AMBER Alert issuance. And support your designees to the fullest; this can be an extremely stressful job.

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye is joined by NDEM Director Harland Cleveland, Vice President Jonathan Nez, Chief of Police Phillip Francisco and DPS Director Jesse Delmar.

“Thankfully, we were prepared.”

On Nov. 25, 2020, the Navajo Nation AMBER Alert faced its first real test – and aced it. The AMBER Alert led to two young sisters being safely returned to their home in northwest New Mexico, and that left Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management Harlan Cleveland breathing yet another sigh of relief. Three years of intense planning, training, and testing for just such a day had paid off.

Prior to November 25, Cleveland and his team had practiced issuing the child recovery alert in a simulated lab environment. “We were wondering how it would go in real-time,” he shared. “Thankfully, we were prepared.”

Also thankful is the family of Jayda John, 7, and Jaylee Spencer, 14.

On Saturday, November 21, the girls were taken from their uncle’s home in Fort Defiance, New Mexico, without his knowledge or permission. His girlfriend, Kristy Marie Pinal, had taken his car, and his nieces, to visit her parents several hours away on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona; that is what Pinal told him when reached by cell phone. She also said she would return with the girls the next day.

But Sunday came and went, and Pinal was not responding to calls and voicemails. By Monday November 23, Jayda and Jaylee’s family reported them missing to the Navajo Nation Police Department in Window Rock, New Mexico.

In issuing a Missing and Endangered Persons Advisory, Cleveland and Deputy Emergency Management Director Lavina Willie-Nez worked with the Navajo Nation Public Information Officer (PIO) to create a flyer that could be shared far and wide – on social media and at well-traveled locations throughout the reservation. Reaction to the girls’ disappearance gained attention, but no leads, and by the next day, Navajo Nation Police Department investigators filed kidnapping charges against Pinal.

An AMBER Alert – the first for Cleveland’s team to independently issue – would be needed. And quickly. Although Cleveland and Willie-Nez were working in separate locations in different states that day, they got the job done. “The good thing about our system is that it’s cloud-based, which allows us to respond instantly, wherever we are.”

Communicating by cell phone, with open laptops at the ready, Cleveland and alert co-coordinator Willie-Nez confirmed the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) had the necessary information to push out the AMBER Alert to two states simultaneously. The AMBER Alert needed to go statewide in New Mexico and Arizona; the states in which Pinal and the girls were likely traveling.

With every minute holding the very lives of the missing girls in hand, Willie-Nez recalled her resolved mindset. “There’s no panicking in this line of work. We’re trained to get it done.”

After working with AMBER Alert Coordinators in New Mexico and Arizona to finalize alert elements, the AMBER Alert was activated, notifying citizens via their phones and other devices. “It was great to see how quickly the alert went out,” remarked Willie-Nez. Social media activity around the alert and case rose quickly as well.

Within 30 minutes, the girls were found safe, some 50 miles west of Window Rock, by a Navajo Nation public safety officer. Pinal was arrested and the girls were returned home to a greatly relieved family. The case remains under investigation.

In the debrief following the AMBER Alert, Cleveland and Willie-Nez identified a few small internal adjustments that could be made toward improved process efficacy with future alerts. In concluding their overall review of their AMBER Alert response and with having identified those process improvements, they feel good about their progress and readiness.

“We’re thankful to have budgeted for a system with all the bells and whistles, one that doesn’t leave us without add-on capabilities that we didn’t know we needed until we did,” Cleveland said.

While the Navajo Nation’s first AMBER Alert ended on a high note, the roots of their mass-notification system were born from a tragedy – the May 2016 abduction and murder of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike.

The anguish over Ashlynne’s disappearance intensified after it was discovered that a series of miscommunications around jurisdictional issues had delayed the issuance of an AMBER Alert. In response, the Navajo Nation vowed never to let such a situation occur in the future. And Tribal Nations throughout the country realized that, like the Navajo Nation, they needed to enact their own comprehensive child recovery strategy.

Foundational to the heart of Tribal communities working to make that happen was the passage of the 2018 Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act, championed by Ashlynne’s mother, Pamela Foster, and the late Arizona Senator John McCain. The Act gives Tribal Nations access to state AMBER Alert plans, provides federal grants to support related technology and training, and serves as the catalyst for the AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative. As Tribal Communities and Nations partner with their states, either in utilizing the state AMBER Alert plan or adopting and operationalizing their own plans, the overarching result is clear: the continued growth and strengthening of the nationwide network of law enforcement, public safety, media, transportation, citizens, and numerous organizations working in partnership to bring endangered, missing, and abducted children safely home.

Building the Navajo Network
Building and maintaining an emergency communications network that would effectively serve the nation’s largest Indian reservation has been a gargantuan undertaking. First among the challenges was the sheer size of the reservation, a geographically diverse region spanning 11 counties in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah; comprising a total 27,000 square miles (about the size of West Virginia).

Additionally, without its own plan and procedures, the Navajo Nation would need to contact each AMBER Alert Coordinator in the three adjoining states to provide information for AMBER Alert and IPAWS notifications. “We couldn’t risk any delay that might cause,” Cleveland said. “We had to have our own system.”

Building an emergency alert system that integrated IPAWS took a few years, but thanks to a unique Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Navajo Nation now has the authority to access IPAWS to issue AMBER Alerts. It also has the capability to push out non-emergency alerts (e.g., for COVID-19, traffic, and weather) via radio, television, and instant messaging.

In finding a platform that could not only integrate IPAWS but also provide personalization, Cleveland, his team, and a Navajo Nation task force comprised of law enforcement and public safety officers, as well as civic and community leaders, spent countless hours evaluating 40-plus vendor products for their capabilities and effectiveness. Ultimately, they chose Everbridge, and “so far so good,” Cleveland said.

The Nation’s mass-notification system, approved in December 2018 and launched a year later, is overseen by the Navajo Division of Public Safety (NDPS) and managed by the Navajo Department of Emergency Management (NDEM). To stay on their game, Cleveland and his team participate in monthly meetings with Everbridge and FEMA while also hosting beginner-level webinar training sessions for new Navajo Nation law enforcement officers.

While the idea of future missing and abducted child incidents is never easy to consider, Cleveland and Willie-Nez understand it is inevitable. This is what drives their daily work and never-ending commitment to being prepared to respond – swiftly and effectively. They will be ready for it, they said.

“As a mother, I can’t even imagine how I’d feel if one of my children went missing,” shared Willie-Nez. “When a child’s life is on the line, all of us know we have to get the word out to as many people possible, as quickly as possible.”

When searching for the perpetrator of an abduction, “Anybody can be everywhere,” she said. “That’s why the public has to be our eyes and ears.”

SOUND ADVICE

An independently operated mass notification system is well suited to the Navajo Nation due to its vast size and ample resources, but it may not be feasible for most Tribal Nations. Harlan Cleveland and Lavina Willie-Nez of the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management offer these tips for Tribes working to create a solid communications plan:

Work with your state’s AMBER Alert Coordinator to build from existing AMBER Alert programs. Any Tribal leaders who are reticent about tapping into state/national resources and expertise “should consider that at the end of the day, it’s not about us, it’s about our children,” Willie-Nez said.
Learn what criteria your state’s AMBER Alert program needs to ensure your alert goes out quickly and accurately. Also make sure law enforcement, public safety leaders, and community members know what is required so that families can be prepared.
Assess your technological strengths and weaknesses. Do the cellular or broadband service/wireless transmitters in your community/area need updating?
Participate in training whenever possible. Ask FEMA to provide an IPAWS tutorial. Also take courses provided by the AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC)/AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and the National Criminal Justice Training Center. “Both paint a really good picture of what’s required,” Cleveland said.
Network with knowledgeable sources and attend regional/national conferences.
Maintain a dynamic social media presence and encourage others to like and share important information. Also stress the importance of opting in for AMBER Alert notifications. “If it were your child, wouldn’t you want everyone to see the AMBER Alert?” Willie-Nez said.
Be ready for the media to call after an AMBER Alert is issued. They will want a good quality, emailable photo of the child and a flyer, if available.
Check out the FEMA fact sheet, “How Tribal Governments Can Sign Up for Public Alerts and Warnings.”

It took only moments for ten-month-old Amila Spratley-Apkey to vanish. Amila’s mother Breesha Spratley left her car running in the driveway with her daughter in the backseat in Ogden, Utah, at 10:45 a.m. on November 4, 2020. The mother ran into her home to use the bathroom and her friend who was in the car also decided to go into the house.

When the mother returned, her car and infant daughter were gone.

Spratley called 911 for help. The Ogden City Police Department determined the situation met the criteria for an AMBER Alert and began gathering as much information as possible before initiating an alert.

Ogden Police Department Technical Agency Coordinator (TAC) Angie Turner entered the alert into the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Utah Criminal Justice Information System (UCJIS) at 11:16 a.m. The alert was activated just moments later at 11:30 a.m.

Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminalists Alex Martinez

Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminalists Ofa Vaisima and Alex Martinez began their positions as AMBER Alert co-coordinators just two months earlier in September. Vaisima was the on-call coordinator November 4th and issued the alert to law enforcement agencies, businesses, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Utah Trucking Association, and all media outlets.

A Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) also sent details about the abduction to all cellphones in Utah. The wireless alerts reach approximately three million cellphones throughout the state.

Ogden Police Captain Timothy Scott set up the Area Tactical Analysis Center (ATAC) and briefed dispatchers about the potential for an overwhelming number of tips.

“Cases like this involving non-family or unknown suspects heighten the concern significantly,” said Ogden Police Captain Jacob Sube. “It becomes imperative to locate the child as soon as possible to reduce the risk of harm. We also had concerns of the child being abandoned in the cold or being physically harmed by the suspect.”

Investigators on scene continued gathering information from interviews and shared their updates with the police command center.

Citizens Respond

Mindy Michelle and her sister, Tiffany Bingham, saw the AMBER Alert on their cellphones and decided to help with the search for the missing infant. “I was just bawling because I felt so drawn to this Amber Alert,” Bingham told a Deseret News reporter.

The two sisters spotted a car without a license plate that matched the missing vehicle. “I don’t know how, but I knew that that was the car, and I knew she was in this neighborhood,” added Michelle.

Breesha Spratley is reunited with her daughter, Amila Spratley-Apke

They called 911, started looking for the baby on their own, and ultimately heard a baby crying. They found the infant on a porch in their neighborhood, but the car was nowhere in sight. “I just grabbed the car seat, and I picked her up,” Michelle said, “and I said, ‘Hi, baby!’”

When Ogden police officers arrived, they found one sister cuddling the child and the other one on the phone with a 911 dispatcher.

“The two women who participated in the locating and safekeeping of this child are prime examples of how important it is to be observant of your environment,” said Ogden Police Officer Nigel Bailey. “They realized the seriousness of the situation and acted quickly and appropriately to keep this child safe.”

In the meantime, a DPS helicopter spotted the missing car and began following it. Officers from the Ogden Police Department and Weber County Sheriff’s Office began a pursuit and eventually arrested a 20-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman at 12:30 p.m. The AMBER Alert was canceled at 12:51 p.m.

Vaisima breathed a sigh of relief and felt gratitude for the two sisters who responded to the alert.

“Their quick thinking and effort ensured the safe recovery of the child,” said Vaisima. “We are also grateful to all the other citizens who contacted the police with tips and information.”

Improving Utah’s AMBER Alert

The arrests and safe recovery are an important milestone for what has been a whirlwind year for the Utah AMBER Alert program. This AMBER Alert was the seventh in 2020; the highest number of alerts Utah has ever issued in a single year. All seven alerts resulted in safe recoveries.
The DPS had also been working during the past year to address concerns they were having regarding use of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). DPS stopped using the WEA system until technical issues could be resolved to ensure the public receives the best and most accurate information.

“For a long time, we’ve been talking about how to get a message to as many people as humanly possible,” said Joe Dougherty, DPS Director of Public Affairs. “This is one tool that allows us to hit a person in every pocket and every purse where they’ve got their cell phone.”

The WEA messages now contain a link to access the latest information about a child abduction. The Utah AMBER Alert coordinators also created a blackout period between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. when alerts would not automatically go to cellphones. Depending on the circumstances, law enforcement agencies can still request a WEA during this time frame.

“Each AMBER Alert definitely teaches us something to help us the next time an alert is issued,” said Vaisima. “With this AMBER Alert being as successful as it was, we learned the changes we are making and have made are leading us in the right direction. We will be able to use this success and information gathered from this alert in future training, which will ultimately help us with any future alerts.”

The DPS is also updating its AMBER Alert program policies and procedures. The coordinators will continue training officers and have several training events scheduled this year.

“It is really important to understand the way different systems work, the needs of the public, and how new technology may improve the AMBER Alert program,” added Vaisima. “Doing these things helped with the success of this alert.”

In the end, the victim’s mother is grateful so many were working together to bring her daughter home safely. “I really appreciate you guys being there and being a good place for her to be,” Spratley said to a reporter. “That’s really awesome, that there’s good people out there still.”

AATTAP offers virtual, instructor-led live training through virtual platforms to ensure child protection professionals’ needs are served.

A law enforcement officer from Arizona engages in a highly involved conversation with another officer from Washington about an ongoing child abduction case. An Idaho therapist and a New Jersey prosecutor weigh in during a breakout training session in which the best approach to bring the child home safely is discussed.

Across multiple disciplines such as law enforcement, child advocacy and social services, these professionals are taking part in the latest virtual, instructor-led live training (VILT) opportunity offered by the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP).

Across states, time zones, and various ‘work environments’ (home office, kitchen table, and bedrooms-turned office) created by stay-at-home and physical-distancing precautions, interactive training through virtual collaboration platforms such as Zoom is proving to be an absolute lifeline. Virtual training events are helping to maintain and improve knowledge and skills, despite the inability to gather in person for classroom-based training.

In response to pandemic-driven shutdowns and travel restrictions, AATTAP began developing VILT courses based on current classroom curriculum, with its first virtual training delivered in early fall 2020.

AATTAP’s self-paced eLearning courses, available for 24/7 access via the National Criminal Justice Training Center at Fox Valley Technical College’s (NCJTC-FVTC) Blackboard online learning platform, were already in play and very popular with law enforcement and public safety professionals across the country. An information campaign was ramped up in early spring 2020 to boost awareness of those offerings and to ensure training and resource sharing continued uninterrupted as the challenges of COVID-19 emerged.

During the 4th quarter of 2020, ten VILT events were offered across three courses:

Child Abduction Tabletop Exercise (CATE) scenario-based training;
Community Response to High Risk Missing Victims; and
Initial Response Strategies and Tactics When Responding to Missing Children Incidents.

Additional course offerings are already in development for 2021.

Evolution in Training

For more than 16 years, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has been offering AMBER Alert training to tens of thousands of child protection professionals through FVTC with a focus on in-person teaching—until now.

“For obvious reasons, in-person training, conferences and meetings were impacted early on,” said Jim Walters, AATTAP Program Administrator. “This required a change in our business processes. One thing hasn’t changed: we are still working to improve the way we all do what we do to safely recover an abducted child.”

AATTAP Program Manager Byron Fassett has coordinated the addition of VILT courses by leading specific subject matter project teams. He notes how the first course delivered via Zoom concerning high-risk missing victims was ultimately as much of a learning experience for the instructors as it was for the students.

“We used it as a trial to see what is needed to convert the curriculum to an online environment,” said Fassett. “We also had to help our instructors to engage with students so we could make it as close to a classroom setting as possible. We have had to think outside the box, not letting the virtual delivery method limit us.”

The addition of VILT courses makes it possible for participants to better engage through discussions around polls, breakout rooms, and other interactive activities, with the ability to hear others’ voices and see facial expressions. This approach offers added learning and practical application benefits beyond the more passive ‘watch and listen’ framework of traditional webinars.

Noting the importance of this level of engagement through virtual training, Fassett added “I can read people’s faces. I can engage people very easily within a classroom environment.

People retain some information from the spoken word, but they are better at recalling instructions when they can see an instructor’s delivery and movements.”

The instructors, moderator, and behind-the-scenes support team, comprised of AATTAP staff and associates, utilize pre-event ‘full dress rehearsals’ to ensure no aspect of the live event administration goes untested beforehand. The entire team also meets after each event to carefully review and discuss what did and did not work, making sure improvements are made for future training events.

“We need to make sure the classes work for everyone because we have such a diverse mix of law enforcement officers, social workers, teachers and other professionals,” added Fassett.

Modifying Courses

Yesenia Leon-Baron — AATTAP Associate and Region One Liaison Yesenia ‘Jesi’ Leon-Baron

AATTAP Associate and Region One Liaison Yesenia ‘Jesi’ Leon-Baron uses her years of experience as a special agent for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to offer real-life examples for the multidisciplinary groups during VILT events. Leon-Baron and other instructors have a clear understanding that students likely have more distractions at home than they do in an actual classroom training environment.

“You have to be energetic and engage the class,” said Leon-Baron. “This is such a hard situation for all of us, especially for somebody who has been in front of the computer all day doing other things with work or other meetings. We have to make sure our training is worth their time and give them the opportunity to gain knowledge and grow their skill sets to help vulnerable children.”

The VILT courses are delivered in both single and multi-day formats, offering child protection professionals options which best fit their demanding and varied schedules during these unprecedented times. The events reference and offer access to digital resources that can be used during and following the training.

During the event, visual training materials focus on a clean, conceptual design which delivers key information while not overwhelming participants with details, allowing them to focus on the instructors as well as having a discussion with other participants.

Students can speak up or use the chat function on Zoom to make comments or ask questions. Instructors also remain online for a bit following each session to address additional questions or comments not covered during class.

As with AATTAP’s in-person training, the VILT courses offer instruction, case study examples, and interactive scenarios delivered by subject matter experts as well as family members who have experienced the tragedy of a child abduction and/or exploitation. AATTAP CART Program Coordinator Derek VanLuchene fits in both of these important categories.

In 1987, when VanLuchene was 17 years old, his eight-year-old brother Ryan was abducted and murdered by a repeat sex offender. VanLuchene went on to become a supervising agent for the Montana Department of Justice, and he continues to work tirelessly as an advocate for missing and abducted children and their families.

VanLuchene coordinates the Child Abduction Response Team (CART) classroom and VILT trainings, as well as the Child Abduction Tabletop Exercise (CATE) courses.

“We expect everyone to interact in these virtual courses, just as they would in the classroom,” said VanLuchene. “In one of our tabletop scenario exercises, we present a case where a girl goes missing from a park. Her parents report her missing and initial officers respond. What do you do next in your investigation? What are the steps you need to take in that investigation?”

Because of their strong use of breakout room discussions, the CATE VILT course is held to a slightly smaller class roster, with around 50 participants per event. The breakout groups optimize multi-agency and/or discipline discussions and groupwork. Instructors visit each room to answer questions and facilitate communication between people who may be meeting one another for the first time through the virtual training.

Overcoming Reservations

AATTAP CART Program Coordinator Derek VanLuchene

VanLuchene said some participants have told him they were skeptical an online tabletop exercise like this was sufficient to support the preparation and readiness needed for a complex law enforcement and child protection response. However, students are reporting their early reservations about the effectiveness of virtual courses were unwarranted.

Here are some examples of the feedback from participants:

“Highly effective delivery through the online platform; really exceptionally done. Far better than any other experiences I’ve had.”
“Very professional online training. I enjoyed the breakout sessions where we were able to collaborate and discuss resolutions to the incident.”
“This was the best virtual training I have been to so far; it was engaging and informative. I enjoyed it.”
“The instructors provided great information. I really enjoyed the diversity of individuals attending and professional background during the breakout sessions and having [the family perspective presenter] tell her personal story was very powerful.”
“The web-based format is a great time saver.”

AATTAP eLearning, Publications and Digital Collaborations Coordinator Bonnie Ferenbach expects the VILT courses will continue beyond pandemic-related travel and in-person event restrictions, noting the importance of continuing work to develop additional VILT offerings toward an expanded array of training options. Even as travel and classroom training resumes, she emphasized AATTAP’s commitment to delivering training both in-person and web-based formats.

“Increasingly, adult learners working in demanding realities need and expect options in how they receive training, including both self-paced ‘anytime-on-demand’ courses, as well as live webinars and interactive virtual instructor-led offerings.”

As the AATTAP team continues work on expanding the VILT course catalog alongside its self-paced eLearning courses, Ferenbach emphasized “When developing the curriculum for virtual classes, we are careful not to assume that what works in the classroom will make a one-to-one transfer to online instruction.”

AATTAP eLearning, Publications and Digital Collaborations Coordinator Bonnie Ferenbach

Noting the incredible efforts and ongoing hard work of the AATTAP team, she added, “We have an amazing team, with each member embracing an ‘all hands on deck’ mindset, to develop, test, deliver and continuously improve, with an eye toward meeting what is sure to be a continued and increasing demand.”

This trajectory is based on clear evidence that was evolving pre-pandemic, and which has only been increased through stay-at-home restrictions and financial hardships across the nation; online learning is turning out to be the only way most organizations can obtain essential training and continuing education. And even as pandemic restrictions subside, many agencies and jurisdictions simply do not have the personnel bandwidth, time, or budgets for time off and travel to participate in classroom training.

As of January 2021, AATTAP had 10 additional VILT events scheduled to date, with more than 800 registration requests received. Additional courses on other topics are being added monthly.

“As these new classes are approved for delivery, we have seen rosters fill quickly, with waiting lists and requests for more training topics,” said AATTAP Program Director Jim Walters. “Our team will keep developing and refining these new learning options while preparing for the time we can get back into the classroom.”

Registration and additional information about AATTAP learning opportunities can be found here.

Brian Front Montana — Montana Missing Person Specialist Brian Frost

Brian Frost is the Missing Person Specialist for the Montana Department of Justice. He spent the first seven years of his career as a dispatcher and spent time speaking with family members of missing loved ones and witnessing firsthand the start of AMBER Alerts. He then began working for the state’s Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN), which also doubles as the Montana Missing Persons Clearinghouse. For three years he served as a training officer for CJIN, providing online and instructor-led training in all aspects of CJIN/NCIC/Nlets and missing persons. In April of 2020, he was designated as the agency’s Missing Person Specialist, and now acts as a liaison between families and law enforcement for missing persons. He also provides training, resources, and outreach on missing persons to both the public and law enforcement.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert/missing persons program, and what do you think makes it successful?

Our AMBER Alert partners and the citizens of Montana; we have terrific AMBER Alert partners that take the goal of AMBER Alerts very seriously. Whether it is law enforcement, the National Weather Service, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Lottery, NCMEC, or the Montana Public Broadcasters Association – all are dedicated professionals with an interest and determination in finding missing and abducted children. Additionally, our citizens are the best. Montanans have a reputation of being friendly and helpful, and I think that extends to helping civically. We constantly hear from the public when AMBER Alerts are issued and people genuinely care. We all want a positive outcome.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?

I believe it’s a combination of things – when you talk to family members of missing loved ones, you can’t 100% relate to how they feel because you’re not in their shoes, but you can do the best job that you’re capable of in hopes of reuniting them. The relief in their voices when there is a positive outcome – makes it worth it.

Also, my wife is eight months pregnant with our first child. 2020 has been a strange year and it feels like a bit of a rollercoaster, but it is comforting knowing that should anything happen to our son, a group of AMBER Alert partners and supporters in Montana is standing by.

Tell us about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert support the outcome? What were the most important lessons learned?

The Montana DOJ recently issued an AMBER Alert on behalf of the Great Falls Police Department. A non-custodial mother took her two children out of school and fled with another male suspect. We were aware of several reasons to believe the children were in immediate danger. Within just a few minutes after the alert was issued, tips began pouring in. The suspects, along with the children and vehicle, were spotted by witnesses at a gas station approximately 15 miles away from the abduction. The suspects fled the gas station and a sheriff’s deputy pulled them over on a traffic stop shortly afterwards. Both children were recovered without incident. I believe it is a testament to how speed, accuracy and working together can lead to a positive result – in only a few short minutes.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?

I would like to stay ahead of the curve as much as possible. I recently attended a webinar that discussed some of the new (and existing) alerting technologies. Some of the technology included hardware features like sirens and public broadcasting speakers – but others demonstrated Wi-Fi hot spot kiosks that display advertising and could also display public alerts. Montana is mostly rural, but I would like to see us keep updating and adapting our program to keep it as effective as possible.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?

Training helps me see how everyone comes together, what roles that individual agencies and partners play and how information is processed. AMBER Alerts are low frequency but high-stress and high public-exposure events. I am a firm believer in the IPAWS test lab, practicing checklists and knowing your resources – who to reach and constantly evaluating protocols. Training keeps everyone sharp.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?

Provide training and outreach when you can. I think some of the best feedback I ever received was to keep training and keep reinforcing what you teach. We provide AMBER Alert training to new police officers as they attend Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA), but with all the different subjects the new peace officers learn – it is information overload. You can teach the AMBER Alert criteria, but it may not stick when they are balancing felony traffic stops, interviewing techniques and evidence collecting. The best we can do is to continue to reinforce and provide guidance on missing persons and alerts throughout their law enforcement career – not just at the beginning.

The mother of one-year-old Mateo Alejandro Montufur-Barrera was pushing her son in a stroller when a man snatched the child at gunpoint. Leslie Barrera put up a fight and ripped off a piece of the abductor’s plaid shorts, and one of his red and black shoes.

The kidnapping took place at 12:33 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2020, in Chamblee, Georgia. The victim’s mother called the Chamblee Police Department to report the abduction. Barrera said her baby was only wearing a diaper and a Batman t-shirt and was taken in a maroon SUV or van.

“It’s an experience no parent wants to experience,” said Chamblee Police Chief Kerry Thomas. “It becomes personal. It becomes a mission to get everything we have available for a successful outcome.”

Detectives found surveillance video from the apartment complex showing the vehicle was a maroon Acura SUV with a paper dealer tag. Officers made careful note of specific details of the vehicle, searched their license plate reader (LPR) system, and found an image of the vehicle taken just before the crime; the vehicle displayed a paper tag.

Through further searches in the LPR system, earlier images of the vehicle bearing a valid metal tag were found. Although the suspects had switched to a paper tag just before the crime, the prior LPR images, some from days before, gave officers the lead they needed to identify a suspect. Police requested a helicopter to help find the SUV.

The Chamblee police officers also enlisted the help of the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). The GBI has a partnership with the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), which handles 24-hour communications for AMBER Alert activations. An AMBER Alert was issued at approximately 3:15 p.m.

The AMBER Alert, known in Georgia as Levi’s Call, was sent to law enforcement and broadcasters. Abduction details were shared on electronic highway signs. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) were sent to cellphones in the area.

GSP Trooper First Class Johnathon Nelms received a call about an AMBER Alert in the area. Nelms surveilled an address associated with the suspect’s vehicle when he saw the SUV. At the same time, Chamblee Assistant Chief Mike Beller arrived on the scene and saw the vehicle leaving the residence.

Nelms initiated a felony traffic stop. “I got out of the car, drew my service pistol and started giving commands for the driver to get out of the vehicle and get on the ground,” said Nelms.

Beller used his squad car to block the suspect from fleeing. He assisted the trooper in the arrest of an adult man and a woman who was disguised as a man.

The child was safe but was also disguised as a girl with female clothes and pigtails. Another boy, 9 years old, was also in the vehicle.

“You think the man upstairs put you in position to save that child?” a WSB-TV reporter asked Nelms. “Yes, sir I do. Without a doubt in my mind. With the good Lord’s blessing that day, everything lined up just right for the information to be passed out to the officers it needed to be given to, where that child could be returned safe.”

Maynor Dario Valera Zuniga and Kristin Nicole Valera Zuniga (Nash) were taken into custody at 5:03 p.m. and the victim was returned to his mother. The child was recovered less than two hours after the AMBER Alert was issued.

“This was a quick recovery,” said Georgia AMBER Alert Co-Coordinator and Missing Person Clearinghouse Manager Emily Butler. “Our Georgia State Patrol is very diligent in making quick identification and stopping potential suspect vehicles.”

At a press conference, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge J.C. (Chris) Hacker noted it is very rare to have a stranger abduction.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 25 years and this is the first time I’ve personally been involved with a case like this,” said Hacker. “Because it’s so rare and significant, everything has to work out pretty much perfectly for us to have this resolution right here.”

The safe recovery was especially meaningful for Nelms because he has children, and he and his wife are about to welcome another child into the family. “I want to take my hat off to the young mother who fought like a true warrior,” said Nelms.

After the recovery, Chamblee police learned the couple scouted the area for days and chose the victim at random. They had also attempted to kidnap a child from a mother earlier the same day.

“He jumped out and challenged her with a gun, but she ran so fast into an apartment that he couldn’t tell which one she ran into,” said Beller.

However, the mother never called 911 about the attempted abduction. Police believe she did not report what happened because of the possibility of undocumented status and being afraid to contact law enforcement.

“We know some people live in the shadows,” said Beller. “We try to protect all of our citizens of this city, regardless of their immigration status.”

Beller is working with Spanish media to help find the woman in hopes she will provide enough information for additional charges to be filed for the suspects.

Georgia has issued 210 AMBER Alerts since the program’s inception in 2001. Georgia’s AMBER Alert is named Levi’s Call in honor of Levi Frady, an 11-year-old boy who was abducted on October 22, 1997, while riding his bike home. His body was found the next day in a wooded area in an adjacent county. Law enforcement continues to search for Levi’s killer.

A frantic search for a nine-year-old deaf girl took place during a tabletop exercise for the York County Child Abduction Response Effort (CARE) Team in York, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 2020. The drill used realistic documents and involved simulated neighborhood canvassing, checking Megan’s Law offenders, analyzing video surveillance, and utilizing forensic searches and cell phone tower data.

The team was also tasked with verifying tips called into an actual tip line, and eventually found the scenario “victim” safe. Participants also coordinated medical treatment, family reunification, and forensic interview of the child.

“Our best lessons learned have come from ideas and mistakes from the past,” said Lt. David Kahley, West York Borough, Pennsylvania, Police Department and CARE Team Coordinator. “We find out what works and what doesn’t work. For instance, something as simple as keeping track of our investigative tasks on a white board, so everyone knows what has been completed and what needs to be worked on. It helps the team stay on track and prevents repetitive work.”

The exercise involved 36 members from 17 local, state and federal agencies, including investigators, probation and parole, assistant district attorneys, victim/witness coordinators, forensic interviewers, search and rescue specialists, K9 handlers, 911 dispatchers, and logistics coordinators.

Kahley said all members had an opportunity to weigh in and offer ideas to help with the investigation. For example, the forensic interviewer brought up the need for having an interpreter to help during the search and when the child was recovered.

CARE was organized in 2006 and was certified in November 2010 by AATTAP through the USDOJ’s Child Abduction Response Team (CART) certification program. Each new member receives CART training and additional missing person trainings from local investigators.

“After our drill, we complete an after-action report to evaluate ourselves,” said Kahley. “We’ve learned during the past couple years to take everything that worked, improve on it, and fix the things that didn’t work.”

The organization holds quarterly meetings and annual trainings, either tabletop or simulated mock drills. CARE plans to have a full-scale mock drill next year.

In October 2018, California AMBER Alert Co-Coordinator Ed Bertola recognized the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was in a bind. He had been working for months to improve the state’s AMBER Alert plan, but he did not have everything up as anticipated, and the changes the CHP had made had not been tested. However, when California saw three AMBER Alerts within 24 hours; a decision had to be made to go forward with what was in place.

“When you have that many alerts you really need all the resources you can get,” said Bertola. “So we hit launch - the button actually says Launch.”

The latest alert went out and the child was recovered safely in a short time. However, Bertola and his team were finding only 13% of the people were able to access additional details about the alert at the CHP website using the link provided in the initial message. While this percentage represented an increase in access, in fact more than any alert before it, Bertola and his team at CHP knew even greater reach was needed, and critically important in these cases where minutes matter in law enforcement’s ability to safely recover abducted children.

“We were happy [with the response], but at the same time knew we were missing an important piece because we were able to see the difference between those who attempted to access our website versus those who actually got in,” said Bertola.

The CHP began working to improve the state’s AMBER Alert plan because they found it impossible to convey all the information the public needed in 90 characters. Also, CHP’s AMBER Alert flyers were not being picked up by media, nor shared on social media.

“Public engagement wasn’t very high,” said Bertola.

He explained that feedback indicated CHP was seen as providing ‘only enough information,’ resulting in people being either confused or scared. In response, CHP reached out to broadcasters and the agency’s Community Outreach and Media Relations for input on improving their flyers.

“They said, ‘Your flyers were obviously designed by people without any experience in marketing,’ and I said, ‘You’re exactly right,’” explained Bertola. “I have zero experience in marketing. Can you help us?”

CHP got help from media professionals in simplifying the flyer to ensure it included all the information the public would need during an alert – without any ‘cop jargon.’ The format has since been adopted for Endangered Missing Advisories, Silver Alerts, and Blue Alerts.

During this time, more people began using streaming or satellite services instead of watching TV or listening to radio through traditional broadcasting channels. As a result, they were not seeing AMBER Alerts. Bertola reached out to other states for help, but none had a solution.

In July 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did make it possible to put a URL link in Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). Some states had included a URL in past alerts and discovered the links did not work.

The CHP reached out in November 2018 to the URL shortener company ‘Bitly’ to provide a specific link the public could use to get details in alerts. Still, the CHP Information Technology staff cautioned that the agency’s network did not have the bandwidth to handle the traffic generated by hundreds of thousands of people – or more – hitting the information page of their website at once.

The site’s security features were also slowing down traffic. Bertola reached out to different social media companies to see if they could help provide a platform which would support this level of activity with link usage and site visits.

“Twitter was the only one that could set up a page with us where anybody could access that information, whether or not they have ever used Twitter, or have the app,” said Bertola.

Twitter was also willing to not include advertisements on California’s AMBER Alert account. In January 2019, CHP launched its first AMBER Alert using its new Twitter account.

“We had a 98.7% rate of people clicking in to get the AMBER Alert information,” said Bertola.” We reached 3.2 million people in just a matter of minutes.”

“We were able to recover that individual within a matter of minutes and it was directly related to the fact that somebody clicked on that link and it went to the Twitter page. It was amazing.”

The CHP decided to allow people to comment and even leave tips on the Twitter page. Bertola said the public has been good to call out people who leave inappropriate comments during an AMBER Alert. The alerts are immediately removed once the victim has been recovered.

The CHP AMBER Alert Twitter account went from having 10 visitors to 10 million. During the first two years, more than 170 million people have clicked on the AMBER Alert account.

July 2018 – Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) makes the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) capable of having a URL embedded in the message.

July-September 2018 – California Highway Patrol (CHP) tries to find the best method of utilizing the new tool and addresses concerns from the media about lack of consistency and quality of flyers being produced.

October 2018 – CHP launches its first WEA/URL and overloads its website in less than 5 minutes.

November-December 2018 – CHP works to find a solution to keep the URL directed to the CHP website. The first alert using the URL did not allow everyone to get all the details about the child abduction. The URL shortener Bitly shows only 13% of users who clicked on the message made it to the CHP website. CHP considers alternatives to the CHP website and selects Twitter to house the alerts page. Twitter helps CHP set up an alert-specific page.

January 2019 – CHP approves the use of Twitter to activate AMBER and Blue alerts using the new WEA/URL format.

February 2019 – CHP approves the use of WEA/URL for Silver Alerts and Endangered Missing Advisories (EMA) and begins training to explain the reduction in WEA/URL activation areas based on information from the investigation and supporting analytics from previous cases.

January 2019-present – CHP sees a more than 50% reduction in the duration of active AMBER Alerts using the new process when the CHP is contacted within six hours of the abduction. information is reaching the public, and they are able to act quickly to receive additional information and offer tips and leads in the case.

The success of the newly revamped AMBER Alert also allows the CHP to direct the alerts to a more localized area based on the information gathered during the investigation. Updated alerts are issued when significant new information becomes available.

“Everybody wants to go statewide for AMBER Alerts all the time, and we feel the same and we wish we could, but we don’t want to desensitize the public and oversaturate them with alerts so that they opt out of receiving them,” said Bertola.

Another significant change is that broadcasters are getting the AMBER Alerts at the same time as everyone else. This means broadcasters do not have time to prepare more information for the public when an alert is activated. However, broadcasters can reach more people beyond those areas where messages are received by cell phones.

The WEA can also be redirected or expanded based on updated information. Even though the radius of the alerts is now smaller, the results continue to grow stronger.

Bertola said they have learned a lot and made mistakes along the way. The CHP is doing more training to help California law enforcement agencies and other AMBER Alert partners understand the newly revamped child abduction notification plan. They are also providing information to other state AMBER Alert coordinators to support their ability to update and strengthen their plans.

“From the moment we hit launch until recovery, the time has decreased over 50%,” said Bertola. “Sometimes it takes hours, and other times only minutes. As everyone knows, every minute counts in this situation.”

Recent CHP Public Alerting Successes:

Silver Alerts:

On a Saturday in October, California issued three WEAs for Silver Alerts and all the victims were found within just a few miles of the alleged abduction. One suspect was found after a nurse discovered that a “John Doe” in a hospital room was the missing person being sought in a Silver Alert. Another victim was found when a citizen saw the alert, walked out of a store, and saw the missing person sitting by a tree. The third was found by a neighbor.

AMBER Alerts:

A mother and her child were safely recovered, due to the quick reaction by two youths who were riding their bicycles and received the alert on their cellphones about a kidnap for ransom. When the WEA was sent, they clicked the URL and accessed the CHP Twitter page with the flyer and associated pictures from the alert. They recognized the suspect vehicle parked near a tree, partially obscured from view. They immediately went home and had their parents call 911. Officers found the mother and her child gagged, but still alive, near the vehicle.

In another case, a suspect was believed to be taking a victim from San Jose, California, to Mexico. The alert went out in the coastal region of California south of San Jose. A group of people recognized the suspect’s vehicle at a gas station. The citizens all positioned their cars so the suspect could not leave until law enforcement arrived.

“When the sheriff’s department got there, people were high-fiving each other,” said Bertola. “It’s amazing to see because those are the feelings we all feel whenever we have a safe recovery.”

In thinking about several successful alerts over the past 18 months, and commenting on the improvements overall, Bertola remarked, “Now the public is able to engage in a new way. Some of the feedback we’ve gotten from them is, ‘Thank you. Thank you for giving us all the information instantly.’ If I don’t do anything else in my career, I feel very proud that this is making a difference for all these individuals. Because they’re not statistics – they’re people.”

This new process has not only changed the game for AMBER Alerts, but significantly improved the other alerts California administers.

“With the success the new process has brought, we’re not done yet. We will continue to adjust our program, use new tools, expand our reach, and help anyone who wants to adopt this new process. This is a team effort - when one improves, we all improve,” concluded Bertola.

Rupert, Idaho, population 5,554, is an agricultural hamlet known for its charm and friendliness. The town is in an area of Southern Idaho known as Magic Valley. On the surface, Rupert would seem like an unlikely setting for a human trafficking case that sparked an intensive search crossing state borders.

During the afternoon of April 16, 2020, the Rupert Police Department received a call from a mother that her 14-year-old cognitively impaired daughter was missing. The Minidoka Sheriff’s Office sent out an Attempt To Locate (ATL) for the missing child.

Idaho State Police (ISP) Dispatcher DeLisa Orren saw the ATL and contacted Rupert police to learn more about the situation and to determine if it qualified for an AMBER Alert. Orren soon found information linking suspects associated with the incident to previous assaults and human trafficking.

Rupert Police Detective Samuel Kuoha discovered text messages indicating the child had been groomed, and was taken around 8:00 a.m. after her mother left for work.

Idaho AMBER Alert Coordinator Tanea Parmenter determined the case met AMBER Alert criteria because the victim was lured away from home and taken across state lines for the purpose of sex trafficking.

The Big Picture

Unfortunately, it is not unique for a vulnerable child living in a small town to be enticed by traffickers through text messages or social media. Consider these findings:

The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found human trafficking suspects were most commonly charged with peonage, slavery, forced labor, or sex trafficking (39 percent), followed by the production of child pornography (32 percent) and transportation for illegal sex activity (29 percent). BJS also reports the number of human trafficking defendants sentenced annually to prison has increased more than fivefold from 2000 to 2015, from 132 to 759.
The 2018 Federal Trafficking Report determined over half (51.6%) of the criminal human trafficking cases active in the U.S. in 2018 were sex trafficking cases involving only children.
The U.S. State Department of State reported in 2019 a growing trend of traffickers using online social media platforms to recruit and advertise targets of human trafficking.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services notes the average age for a person entering the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old.

Idaho AMBER Alert

In this case, Parmenter helped the Rupert Police Department ensure the missing person record was updated in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and issued an AMBER Alert at 8:23 p.m. through the state’s alerting system, CodeRed. The alert was sent to law enforcement terminals, highway signs, lottery terminals, 511 information, as well as news and radio broadcasts.

The AMBER Alert brought in many tips, including information from people who knew one of the suspects. Those tips helped police obtain the suspect’s cellphone number and determine he was in California. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system was not activated because the suspect and victim were believed to be out-of-state at this point.

“We were confident we were doing all we could to help find her; however waiting to hear the outcome of the interaction with officers took quite a while and we were on pins and needles waiting for the investigation to play out,” said Parmenter.

California AMBER Alert

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) contacted Rupert police officers at the request of the Idaho State Police (ISP) about issuing an alert in California. Sgt. Matt Whitworth was working that night and consulted with his on-call manager regarding the request from Idaho.

The CHP protocol requires officers to talk to the activating agency to make sure communications are established throughout the investigation. After determining the case met California’s AMBER Alert criteria, CHP issued an AMBER Alert at 9:38 p.m. for seven counties along the I-80 corridor in California.

Supervisor and California AMBER Alert Coordinator and Lead Instructor, Sergeant Ed Bertola said, “It can be tricky to activate for another state because we need to be sure it meets our criteria and there’s good evidence there’s a nexus to California, and that the victim is in our state. AMBER Alerts are most effective when you have good information to give the public and our allied agencies.”

The California AMBER Alert was sent to law enforcement, broadcasters, highway signs, lottery terminals, schools, and businesses that have agreed to post the alerts on electronic signs. By law, California must create its own flyer with information about the suspect and victim. The WEA message includes a link to Twitter with the flyer information included.

“We were just trying to think of other avenues for what we could do,” said Whitworth. “We were seriously worried about the victim.”

Meanwhile, Rupert detectives found information about a second suspect who might still be in Idaho. ISP issued a second AMBER Alert through WEA at 11:00 p.m. in several Southern Idaho counties.

Also, CHP undertook a massive search of databases to glean information about the suspect and his vehicle. They activated license plate readers in an attempt to locate the suspect’s vehicle and began tracking the suspect’s cellphone.

CHP officers from multiple areas descended on a location obtained from the cell phone ping and identified the suspect’s vehicle at a rest area in Truckee, California, at 1:04 a.m. on April 17. They called for backup and then approached an older woman inside the car who said everyone in the vehicle was part of her family.

“We were disappointed when they found the car and one of the two suspects and the victim we were looking for weren’t there,” said Whitworth. “It was devastating that this could be a false report.”

The CHP officers did not give up searching after hitting this roadblock. CHP was still receiving pings from the victim’s cell phone in that location, so they conducted an exhaustive search of the large rest area. A swift yet thorough search of the area presented challenges, including many other vehicles, large buildings, and a groundcover of new snow.

While searching the back area behind one of the buildings, an officer spotted what appeared to be a fresh set of footprints leading to a densely wooded area. They followed the footprints in the snow for about 150 yards and found the suspect and the victim hiding behind a large tree. “They had a ‘Spidey-Sense’ that something was wrong,” added Whitworth. “We are very relieved we found the victim, I definitely slept well that night.”

The suspects were arrested, and the child was placed with child protective services. Three other juveniles, who were with their non-custodial mother, were also located with the Idaho teen.

Lessons Learned in Idaho

Idaho’s AMBER Alert coordinators Leila McNeill and Tanea Parmenter are grateful for the CHP’s cooperation and quick action. “We were excited to hear the victim was located safely and they were able to catch the suspects before they got too far into California,” said Parmenter. “We are also extremely fortunate to have an experienced dispatcher catch the ATL and take the time to ask questions, knowing that potential existed that this could be more than ‘just a runaway.’”

Orren humbly dismisses any personal credit for what happened. “A successful AMBER Alert is all about teamwork,” she said. “There are no jurisdictions, diversified agencies, state borders or egos. It is all about everyone working together, doing their part, for the good of the victim. The AMBER Alert system works because of the dedication of each person to the safe rescue of the child.”

Looking back, Parmenter said training and practice helps to ensure policies and procedures are in place to support quick activation and dissemination of AMBER Alerts. A press release was sent after the alert to explain the AMBER Alert process overall, and why WEA was not used initially.

She said this case is an important example of why AMBER Alert coordinators should stay connected with coordinators in other states. “Suspects rarely stay in the same state; building a relationship with the other states assists in the quick recovery of the child and suspects.”

“We work in law enforcement because we care,” added Leila McNeil. “We strive to do all we can to help those in need during the most harrowing time a family can imagine.”

Lessons from California

California Highway Patrol Sergeant Matt Whitworth

As AMBER Alerts are still relatively rare in the larger scheme of law enforcement’s work, Sgt. Whitworth noted the importance of other emergency alerts utilized in notifying the public. He said the experience gained from issuing the other alerts helps him keep up on what needs to be done to issue an effective alert.

Sgt. Bertola emphasized that AMBER Alert coordinators, law enforcement officers and telecommunicators must listen and look for indicators of sex trafficking when responding to calls/reports, because more and more often there is a connection between trafficking and missing children.

He said this case is a good example that officers should never give up—even when leads initially point to confusing or contradictory information.

“The officers could have said, ‘Good luck’ but they took the information and followed their gut and held the people for an extended period of time to figure this out,” said Bertola. “They didn’t give up on what they thought was happening. All the technology in the world doesn’t substitute for determination or good police work.”

Both Bertola and Whitworth have children, and they say that experience gives them extra motivation to find missing and abducted children.

“At the end of each alert you hug your kids differently,” said Bertola. “I’ve often tried to put myself in a victim family’s place. I couldn’t bare the loss in this type of situation. The CHP is dedicated to do whatever we can do and develop any technology we can to make the amount of time a family is separated the shortest time possible and get every child back safely.”

“It does give extra motivation when you have kids of your own,” said Whitworth. “It’s why you sign on to do this job in the first place, because you want to help people. We want to do the right thing and do the best job we can.”

Sergio Anaya Alcantar, 18, was charged with felony rape and kidnapping. Alcanter’s stepfather, Carmelo Villanueva Galarza, 35, was charged with kidnapping and sexual abuse of a minor under 16.

Idaho State Police Director Kedrick Wills said dispatcher DeLisa Orren’s extra efforts exemplify the agency’s goal of changing and saving lives. “The action DeLisa took that night made the difference between this girl being returned to her family and being abducted by people who could have caused her harm.” Orren humbly dismisses any personal credit for what happened. “A successful AMBER Alert is all about teamwork,” she said. “There are no jurisdictions, diversified agencies, state borders or egos. It is all about everyone working together, doing their part, for the good of the victim. The AMBER Alert system works because of the dedication of each person to the safe rescue of the child.”

(From front, left to right) Colonel James Wiggins – Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Deputy Chief Jay Ethridge – Dept. of Financial Services, Ashley Moody – Florida Attorney General, Casey Desantis – First Lady of Florida, Commissioner Richard Swearingen – Florida Department of Law Enforcement

May 25 is the date both the U.S. and the international community designate as Missing Children’s Day. Because this annual event holds such significance in the work done by state AMBER Alert Coordinators and Missing Children Clearinghouse Managers, a great deal of planning and preparation is undertaken to ensure events are successful in raising community awareness of and commitment to efforts to recover missing and abducted children. This can be daunting for individuals newly serving in these roles as they look to carry on (or create) strong traditions around annual Missing Children’s Day.

Missing Children’s Day was first designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The annual commemoration was adopted as a joint venture in 1998 by the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC).

Craig Schroeder, who recently left the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), has been actively involved in making Missing Children’s Day a huge success in the Sunshine State. He graciously shared with us how he makes it happen, and welcomes other states to consider the strategies and action steps he and his team used if they can be helpful in planning for Missing Children’s Day and other special events recognizing missing and abducted children.

Can you walk us step-by-step through what you have done for recent Missing Children’s Day planning and events?

Missing Children’s Day is a ceremony with two major components. The first is an awards ceremony honoring law enforcement officers, citizens, and children who have made heroic efforts to recover a missing child or have made great strides in combatting child abduction and human trafficking.

The second component is the Time of Remembrance, where we invite the families from Florida Missing Children’s Day Foundation, as well as families of children who were missing and found deceased. We honor their children in the presence of the Florida governor, heads of state, sheriffs, police chiefs and other state dignitaries.

During the program, the FDLE Commissioner reads the names of each child as specially selected music is played. The governor and first lady present each family with a rose—white roses for deceased children, and yellow roses for missing children. Roses are placed by posters which display each honored child’s picture.

How is responsibility for tasks organized when preparing for the annual event?

The Florida Missing Children’s Day event requires cooperation from multiple agencies. FDLE is the primary coordinator, and it partners with local vendors and state agencies, including the Florida Capitol, Capitol Police, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Tallahassee Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Funds are raised for the event by the Florida Missing Children’s Day Foundation, a 501c3 established to raise funds for the annual event.

What awards are presented in conjunction with the Missing Children’s Day event?

Florida offers awards in the following categories:

Legacy Award
Local Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
State/Federal Law Enforcement of the Year
Task Force/Team of the Year
Combatting Human Trafficking Award
Citizen of the Year
School Bus Operator of the Year
Essay Contest Winner
Poster Contest Winner

How are these categories decided upon? Do they change from year to year?

Many of our categories have been in place since the inaugural Missing Children’s Day ceremony in 1998. Over time, some categories have been added. For instance, when Pam Bondi was the Florida Attorney General, her office asked to sponsor an award recognizing work in Combatting Human Trafficking, which has been an ongoing category of recognition made every year since. Additionally, we created the Legacy Award last year, and it was presented for the first time to Mr. Don Ryce, father of Jimmy Ryce, a tireless advocate for endangered, missing, and abducted children.

How is outreach for nominations done each year?

Our award nominations are opened in early spring of each year and are disseminated statewide to law enforcement agencies through our partners at the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association.

What has been one of the most significant outcomes from the work done to recognize AMBER Alert partners in your state?

Recognizing AMBER Alert partners and those who made strides in protecting children has really brought awareness to Floridians about the ongoing and steadfast commitment of agencies across the state in working together to respond swiftly and effectively when a child is in danger.

What is involved in administering your essay contest?

Our essay contest begins in January of each year when schools return from winter break. Our partners at the Florida Department of Education send out a memorandum outlining the contest rules to all Florida grade schools, calling for essays from their fifth-grade classes. Students are asked to write a one-page essay on the theme “How I Stay Safe All Day.”

Essays are generally due in early March. Once all have been received, they are divided up into seven regions—one for each FDLE Regional Operations Center. The essays are sent to the governor’s legal office, another partner who helps us facilitate many facets of the Missing Children’s Day event. They choose a single winner from each of the seven regions. Those seven winners are then sent to Department of Education representatives who select a panel to determine a single, statewide winner.

In the event of a tie, FDLE assembles a panel to make the final decision. The winning essayist is invited to the Florida Missing Children’s Day ceremony to receive his/her award and read the essay to the audience.

What steps do you take to administer the poster contest?

The poster contest is usually initiated in the late fall by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Florida begins its poster contest the first week in January when students return to school. The information and rules for the poster day contest are disseminated to schools across the state through our contacts at the Department of Education (DOE).

Once the deadline arrives, we gather all posters. The contest coordinator holds an initial review to eliminate any posters that did not adhere to contest rules (wrong poster size, unacceptable medium, missing the required phrase, etc.). All eligible posters are then judged by a panel of FDLE and DOE members to select the winner.

The winning artist is invited to the Florida Missing Children’s Day ceremony to receive his/her award. A billboard is created from the poster and is posted throughout the state, thanks to our partners at the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association.

What do you do to help publicize the event?

The Florida Missing Children’s Day presentation is a public event that usually draws around 500 people to the Capitol Complex. To publicize the event, we send out invitations to all partner agencies and post information to the Florida Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) page as well as the Florida Missing Children’s Day Foundation page. News releases are sent statewide and our public information officers also provide updates both before and following the event.

Can you share some examples of media coverage?

We always have the Florida Channel broadcast the event live. In addition, local news media attend and frequently interview award winners and family members.

We also try to create other events to garner attention. For instance, last year we partnered with the Tampa Bay Rays to hold a Missing Children’s Day event at Tropicana Field, where our poster and essay contest winners threw out the first pitch. All attendees were given a Florida Missing Children’s Day bracelet and we set up a table at the main entrance to provide more information.

What is the overarching goal of Florida’s Missing Children’s Day program?

Our goal for Missing Children’s Day is to bring awareness to the issue of missing children. We highlight ongoing challenges by awarding law enforcement officers and citizens for their bravery, as well as keeping a spotlight on Florida children who are still missing.

Can you share any stories of previous winners or events that made a difference in the recovery of missing and abducted children?

Our Jimmy Ryce K-9 Trailing Team of the Year, named for Jimmy Ryce, who was abducted and murdered in 1996, always produces a winner who made direct and significant impacts on recovering a missing child. For instance, this year’s winner was an officer and his K9 partner who tracked an at-risk child who wandered from his home, over a highway and through the woods. Their efforts brought the child home unharmed.

What advice would you offer to other AMBER Alert Coordinators in their work to make Missing Children’s Day a significant and effective event in their states?

The most significant part of the ceremony is the Time of Remembrance; it is important to remind these families whose children have been missing for weeks, months, years, and even decades, that we have not forgotten about them. For other coordinators who are working on a Missing Children’s Day event or program, I encourage them to never lose sight of the important and positive impacts created when we strive to keep these families and their children front and center.

Note: Craig Schroeder recently left FDLE for another position but Florida Missing Children’s Day will continue as it always has. Craig’s supervisor, Senior Management Analyst Supervisor Brendie Hawkins, will assume his duties until a replacement is made. She is available for any questions at [email protected].

Shelly Smitherman is the Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Criminal Intelligence Unit/ Fusion Center. She oversees the AMBER Alert/Endangered Child Program, Human Trafficking analysts, and the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry. Smitherman has been with the TBI for 18 years and has worked in the Middle Tennessee Drug Division, Training Division, and Criminal Intelligence Unit. Shelly received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Belmont University. She is also a graduate from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy and LEAD Tennessee. ASAC Smitherman began her career with the State of Tennessee in 1996 as a case manager with the Department of Children’s Services (DCS). While employed at DCS, she conducted severe child physical and sexual abuse investigations. In 1999, she was hired by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission as a Special Agent. Shelly lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the proud mother of 2 children (ages 18 and 14) and 4 dogs.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL?

We have an amazing team at TBI that supports our AMBER Alert program in Tennessee. We have 16 intelligence analysts who are on-call and assist with AMBER Alerts. Team members train together regularly to ensure we are always ready to respond quickly when an AMBER Alert is issued.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

I am humbled to oversee the Tennessee AMBER Alert/Missing Children Program. There is no greater reward than being part of locating a child who is in harm’s way; this has been the most rewarding job in all my 23 years of state service. Every recovered child is a reminder of the critical importance the AMBER Alert.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM?

Although we have little turnover in our unit, it is difficult to keep local law enforcement trained on the protocol for issuing an alert, due to changing personnel. We provide onsite training across the state throughout the year to ensure law enforcement officers are aware of the requirements for AMBER Alert issuance. The training includes guidelines for preparing local agencies before a child abduction occurs in their communities.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE PROGRAM?

I am always communicating with my AMBER Alert partners from other states and searching for the best technology we can utilize to notify the public rapidly and provide as much detail as possible in order to resolve missing children cases quickly. We have recently updated our WEA message through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that directs the public to the TBI Twitter page. This allows us to quickly provide details to every cell phone in the state.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED?

We had a recent AMBER Alert that involved a 12-year-old victim who was safely recovered by law enforcement. This case reminded everyone of the importance of agencies working together for one goal - the safe return of the child. The recovery of the victim was a result of successful collaboration between several local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The child was recovered at a building in Nashville that had a billboard directly outside displaying the AMBER Alert poster from NCMEC.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

In my 23 years of working for the state of Tennessee, I have had the opportunity to work a variety of investigations that have prepared me for this role as the AMBER Alert Coordinator.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS?

I urge other AMBER Alert Coordinators to build relationships with their counterparts from other states. I have also developed great relationships with the people at the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College, as well as with NCMEC; they have been great partners in coordinating various training events in Tennessee for local, state, and federal agencies.

Maggie Kenney was sitting on her front porch when she saw a man grab a young girl and push her into his car. She immediately started screaming at her husband to call the cops.

“I’m screaming, yelling to wake up the neighborhood,” said Kenney to a reporter. “(The girl) was saying ‘Stop! Put me down!’ It was terrible.”

The abduction took place at 1:26 p.m. on January 15, 2020, in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 11-year-old was taken while she was walking home after getting off her school bus. Kenney told police the abductor was driving a blue two-door Honda Civic.

Detectives searched the area and found a home security camera had captured video of the suspect’s vehicle and the victim moments before the abduction. The video also showed the same vehicle following the girl the day before.

The Springfield Police Department (SPD) media relations officer began contacting local news outlets and posting information on social media about the stranger abduction while detectives prepared information for an AMBER Alert. SPD and the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) coordinated swiftly to move the AMBER Alert activation forward. MSP provided activation guidance at 3:35 p.m. SPD submitted photos of the suspect’s vehicle to MSP by 4:14 p.m.

The police department issued a press release at 5:15 p.m. with the name, age, a physical description, and photographs of the endangered child, along with the location and time she was last seen, and a description of the suspect vehicle. The AMBER Alert was issued at 5:20 p.m.

Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator Sergeant Nicole Morell — Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator
Sergeant Nicole Morell

“A child’s life and safety is at stake and we want to engage the public across our entire state, so everyone can help us look for that child and the person who abducted her,” said Sergeant Nicole Morell, Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator.

The MSP sends AMBER Alerts to law enforcement via directed messages and broadcasts, and to the public through television and radio broadcasts, website and social media pages, and public transit stations and electronic highway signs. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) also deliver these critical messages and updates to the public.

“This was the first stranger abduction in Massachusetts since the AMBER Alert system was implemented in this state in 2002,” said Dave Procopio, MSP Media Communications Director. “Naturally, there was great concern for this child’s safety, and a determination by everyone involved in the process at MSP that we would keep working until she was found.”

Emergency dispatchers were flooded with calls, including numerous motorists who said they spotted the suspect’s car, beginning around 7:15 p.m. The license plate number information received from tips was fed into automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems to locate the vehicle. MSP Troopers also started slowing the traffic in that area by reducing the highway to one lane.

Amanda Disley and her husband saw the vehicle and started following it. Their son was in the back of the car live-streaming the event.

“I hope they find that girl, I really do,” Disley said in the video “It’s got me sick to my stomach. I cannot imagine being that mom. I can’t imagine how that mom feels.”

They lost sight of the car, but other motorists called 911 to report the vehicle was fleeing from the city of Chicopee. State troopers stopped the vehicle at 7:20 p.m. and arrested the 24-year-old perpetrator. The missing girl was recovered safely from the back seat. Troopers found a knife in the car door pocket.

“I felt tremendous relief,” said Procopio. “The AMBER Alert only works when civilians take time to listen to the information and commit themselves to remain alert as they go about their lives. That is what happened in this case, and we are eternally grateful to the civilians who helped us rescue this girl and apprehend her abductor.”

Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood held a press conference after the ordeal was over. “What happened is I think every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said. “The biggest factor [in the safe recovery] was the assistance of the public. The tips coming in were amazing.”

MSP has issued 28 AMBER Alerts involving 36 children and has a 100% rate of safe recovery. Apart from the January 15, 2020, alert, the other 27 AMBER Alerts issued to date in Massachusetts all involved perpetrators who were known to the abducted child or members of the child’s family.

As information started coming in about the stranger abduction, the Massachusetts AMBER Alert Coordinator was actively communicating with coordinators in other states. At the same time MSP was responding to this abduction, Rhode Island was preparing to issue a Senior Alert. Morell said the strong relationships with other AMBER Alert partners helps make each state’s program work better.

“The process works; trust it,” added Morell. “Trust your instincts, your knowledge, and expertise. This being our first stranger abduction, we knew we had to work fast to get accurate information out to the public.”

MSP determined years ago to release information about a possible abduction to the public as soon as possible. This results in more people looking for the victim sooner and provides the media much-needed information when the AMBER Alert is issued.

“We realized that the news and information flow is continuous and, in an emergency, needs to be as instantaneous as possible,” said Procopio. “A child’s safety and life are at stake, and we want to engage the public across our entire state, so they are helping us look for that child and the person who abducted her. An AMBER Alert activation has a lot of moving parts, and it’s important that everyone involved knows their unique responsibilities and fulfills them satisfactorily and as quickly as possible.”

An after-action review found everyone fulfilled their roles well, but determined the AMBER Alert protocol and intake/request form need to be updated to reflect current technology.

The abductor in this case was charged with 3 counts of aggravated rape of a child with force, indecent assault, battery, kidnapping, witness intimidation, and assault with a dangerous weapon on a child under the age of 14. The judge in the case ordered a psychiatric evaluation for him.

The victim’s parents issued a statement to thank the motorists who followed the suspect “for their vigilance and courage for putting themselves in harm’s way to make sure she wasn’t out of their sight.” They also thanked the law enforcement officers, doctors, social workers, and everyone involved in the AMBER Alert. “The outpouring of love and support, near and far, is overwhelming. We are eternally grateful."

Delapaz Training — Dallas Police Detective and AATTAP Child Sex Trafficking Course Coordinator Cathy Delapaz at the two-day training in Springfield, Missouri

This training on the law enforcement response to child sex trafficking was not for the faint of heart. More than 180 people listened to case study summaries and evidence-based information on how child sex trafficking victims may be reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement officers, or to assist with the investigation because of shame, or from fear that they or their families will be harmed by the traffickers. This is largely due to bonds forged through trauma and fear. These child victims, whose average age is 14–15, are repeatedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation through coercion or physical violence.

The two-day training in Springfield, Missouri, on January 28-29, 2020, is one example of the individualized instruction the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) can offer a community through its broad array of course offerings.

A CUSTOMIZED TRAINING EXPERIENCE

The overarching goal of targeted training such as that developed for Springfield is to provide customized information and resources which support local/area law enforcement and the community it serves in developing an effective approach to understanding, rescuing, and appropriately serving the recovery needs of victims of sex trafficking. Representatives from law enforcement, child protection, medical, juvenile services, and non-profit groups united over the two-day training to develop a response protocol specific to the dynamics of sex trafficking occurring in the community.

Developed by Byron Fassett, AATTAP Program Manager, and Cathy Delapaz, Dallas Police Detective and AATTAP Child Sex Trafficking Course Coordinator, this training and its customized application for these Missouri participants was developed from a follow up request for additional training following a “Child Sex Trafficking Training for First Responders” course provided by Delapaz in 2019.

Fassett, who has more than 25 years’ experience in investigating child sex abuse cases, shared studies that found 80% of victims ran away four or five times in a one-year period. He urged law enforcement officers and social workers to probe deeper into the elements at play when a child runs away. Fassett said traffickers seek out vulnerable teens living on the streets, luring them with offers of food, shelter, clothing, and other basic needs.

“It’s a process. They are first going to overwhelm them with love, affection, and attention,” said Fassett. “After they’ve pulled them in that way, then they will introduce the need for money.”

He said the victim is unscrupulously led to believe the perpetrator is owed something and paints a romantic picture of how they are working together as a team.

“Pimps call it selling the dream,” said Fassett. “And if that doesn’t work, the trafficker will use force.”

The group was provided evidence-based and results-oriented methods for identifying victims of sex trafficking, as well as those at high risk of luring and exploitation. The training included instruction and group discussion around discipline-specific victim interview techniques, and important elements in the documentation and reporting processes to support effective prosecution of perpetrators.

Delapaz shared what she has learned through years of helping sex trafficking victims. She noted that crimes commonly associated with child sex trafficking include sexual assault, child abduction, drug trafficking, robberies, and other violent crimes.

“Traffickers are a public safety danger,” said Delapaz. “Any child who is a runaway is at high risk of falling prey to traffickers. These traffickers must be met with the same response with which we meet any other exploiter of children.”

“Time is of the essence, these children must be rescued and saved from endless acts of exploitation. These are not cases where we can afford to take weeks to work; they are as pressing as an abduction or other situation in which an exploiter has access to a child.”

Delapaz explained it is crucial for communities to have an established team approach for these victims which is seamless, efficient, and quick.

In Springfield and across the nation, AATTAP works with state, regional, and local partners to develop an event and curriculum resources which best meets their child protection and community safety needs. Whether spearheaded by law enforcement agencies or the public safety and child protection organizations with whom they partner in local, grassroots endeavors, AATTAP audiences receive carefully constructed training like that provided to the dedicated professionals and community members of Springfield.

“Communities which develop a robust, impactful response to child sex trafficking victims will see a dramatic increase in recoveries of victims, disclosures of exploitation during interviews, prosecution of traffickers, and development of relevant long-term services for victims,” said Delapaz. These AATTAP trainers began with two goals for this course, as they do for all such trainings and presentations: 1) Share impactful information which resonates with participants; and 2) connect with the experience and situations in the participating community, to support their ability to practically and effectively apply the information.

“We were able to accomplish both goals,” added Delapaz in reflecting on the two days spent with the participants in Springfield.

LESSONS FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES

AATTAP is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice and is administered through Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) and its National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC). AATTAP provides a variety of in-person and online (both live webinars and self-directed) training opportunities to help law enforcement, other child protection professionals, and the community better understand and ready themselves to effectively respond to endangered missing and abducted children.

Trainings like what was offered in Springfield, developed out of the Child Sex Trafficking topical area, focus on understanding and identifying high risk victims, children in crisis, and the commercial exploitation of youth; and the critical importance of rescue and recovery work as victims and their families endure prosecutorial/judicial aspects of the case and forge a plan for long-term recovery.

These training events have outcomes geared toward powerful collaboration, development of effective policies and procedures, and the identification and application of best practices to safely recover endangered missing and abducted children.

AMBER Alert training courses can be hosted by local, regional, state, and tribal law enforcement training academies, agencies, or organizations. AATTAP encourages collaboration between law enforcement, public safety, and non-profit partners to identify training needs for each community.

AATTAP’s courses address numerous subjects, including effective first response to and investigation of endangered missing and abducted child incidents; child sex trafficking investigations and interdisciplinary community readiness to respond; AMBER Alert in Indian Country, Child Abduction Response Teams (CART), and many other important topics. Learn more, request training, and register for scheduled training events (both classroom and online) at the AMBER Advocate website’s Training and Resources area: https://www. amberadvocate.org/training-resources/.

Bonnie Feller Hagan has been the South Dakota AMBER Alert Coordinator since 2016, and involved with the state’s child abduction alert program since it began in March 2003. She began her law enforcement career in 1985 as a patrol officer in Rapid City, South Dakota. A few years later, Feller Hagan became a school liaison officer, teaching programs and working with students. In 1990, she moved to Pierre, South Dakota, to join the Attorney General’s Office as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst with the Missing Person’s Clearinghouse. Feller Hagan helped South Dakota form a multi-jurisdictional Child Abduction Response Team (CART) in 2006 and an Endangered Missing Advisory program in 2008.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT/MISSING PERSONS PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES IT SUCCESSFUL? Most of the functions of the South Dakota AMBER Alert and Endangered Missing Advisory programs are performed by agencies within our state government as opposed to a third-party vendor.

Our AMBER Alert system was originally set up at the direction of the Governor’s Office and we continue to function through these state agency partnerships today. Our system allows us to adapt to changing technology and other needs while keeping the costs of the program low by utilizing existing state equipment and infrastructures, and the talents of state employees. Additionally, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, wireless associations, and broadcast/media partners send alerts to the public without charge.

We are a small, rural state and are fortunate not to issue many alerts. We do perform quarterly tests of our system and meet frequently to ensure our AMBER Alert system is functioning properly and available when we need it. When AMBER Alerts are issued, we hold a debrief to see if any areas can be improved.

HOW HAS THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGED FOR YOUR STATE’S AMBER ALERT SYSTEM? We do most things in-house. A couple of years ago we considered utilizing a third-party vendor, but decided against it. While we will continue to consider external help/ resources, we have a good system and currently do not have to do fundraising or seek additional appropriations.

I am concerned about reaching people the way they are using technology now. We need to address the prevalence and use of streaming data/content; my kids and their peers now get most things this way. And yet, we have many rural areas and nine Indian reservations in our state where people often rely heavily on satellite radio. We will activate alerts for the reservations, but we have many people living there who may not have cable or internet services to receive those alerts. The Endangered Missing Advisories do not reach their phones. As we expand technology on one hand, we must continue to think about how we bridge the gap for people who don’t have phones, internet services, or access to radio or TV.

HOW DO YOU TEST YOUR AMBER ALERT SYSTEM? We do a quarterly test of all systems and equipment with all of our partners, including emails to every state employee.

We may only issue an AMBER Alert every 2 or 3 years. We follow each quarterly test with a meeting, testing on a Wednesday and meeting the following Tuesday.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN? Once you meet with a family of a missing child, I think you naturally develop a passion for wanting to be part of the case’s resolution and the safe recovery of the child. The families have a lasting impact on me when they share their stories at conferences, meetings, or even through a phone call. If I can help recover a child or assist a family to find resolution to what happened to their missing loved one, it really is one of the most rewarding aspects of my law enforcement career; and for me as a person and mother.

I have a 27-year-old son who is an attorney and a 30-year-old son who is part of a team that travels around the state providing dental care to children who can’t afford it. Growing up they had a very protective mother, as I heard so many other parents share their stories.

PLEASE SHARE ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED? The most memorable AMBER Alert success story we worked was a 2011 request from Iowa for a 2-year-old boy who was abducted by his father in the middle of the night after he allegedly killed the child’s mother. Local, state and federal law enforcement began monitoring roadways in the area where the suspect was believed to be.

Officers saw the father’s vehicle and began pursuing him when he refused to stop. The suspect ran a sheriff’s car off the road, causing it to roll, injuring the sheriff. The abducting father stopped long enough to remove his son from his vehicle and place him on the side of the road, and then drove off.

The child was safely recovered and other officers continued to chase the suspect. He continued down the road until he intentionally drove head-on into another sheriff’s vehicle. The crash injured that sheriff, and caused the abducting father’s car to roll and become disabled. The father tried to escape on foot, but was captured, arrested and extradited back to his home state to face charges for his crimes.

The two injured sheriffs were honored, along with a federal officer who set aside his normal duties to actively search for, locate and follow the abducting father.

While this incident was tragic, this case was most memorable because of how AMBER Alert plans in two states coordinated; and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies pulled together across state lines to save a child. Everyone involved was willing to work together and do whatever it took to get this child to safety and protect him from the life-threatening situations into which he had been placed.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN? I have been in law enforcement for almost 35 years and it is a challenging career choice to sustain. However, the work I do with missing persons and the AMBER Alert program has been a positive and enriching experience filled with many dedicated people who really make a difference in families’ lives. I am proud to be an AMBER Alert coordinator and I appreciate the progress the programs have made in the last 20 years to strengthen public awareness and engagement on missing children’s issues.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM AND RELATED PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE? I would like to have access to expanded technology and available funding to reach more people when we send alerts. We reach people through traditional methods such as broadcast media, email, billboards, websites, weather radios and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). I would like to see alerts go to smart watches, satellite radio and streaming services. I would also expand WEA for secondary alerting systems such as our Endangered Missing Advisory.

HOW HAS TRAINING HELPED YOU IN AMBER ALERT CASES? The training provided at the national AMBER Alert symposiums, missing children’s conferences and onsite technical assistance events has allowed us to bring AMBER Alert and missing and exploited persons training courses and programs to our state. This training has been invaluable to increasing knowledge and developing prevention and response techniques specific to missing children. I rely on and use resources such as the AMBER Alert Partners Portal, sample field training exercises and best practices documents.

Some of the most important aspects of training are the networking and collaborative learning I get when I meet on a regular basis with my counterparts from other states. These opportunities give us a chance to have discussions, exchange ideas and identify resources.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS? Learn from each other. Go to as many trainings as you can attend. Get out of your comfort zone when you go to a training event or symposium. Sit in a different part of the room each day. Introduce yourself to many different people from other states, as well as Indian Country and international partners. Find out how they run their plans, learn about their challenges and successes. Get their contact information and give them yours. Form regional partnerships with your surrounding states and meet regularly. This is important because when you need assistance or encounter a roadblock, a bridge to a wealth of resources and knowledge will have been built.

CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN IT REALLY HELPED TO KNOW OTHER COORDINATORS FROM OTHER STATES? One collaborative group I work with is the I-Search group, a consortium of Midwestern state AMBER Alert and Missing Person Clearinghouse programs. Additionally, while at the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, I met and got to know my counterparts in Wyoming and Montana. This type of networking makes everything go smoother when the phone rings for assistance, because it’s someone you have had the opportunity to meet and talk with. It is easier to take things at face value because you have a relationship with that person.

A 17-year-old girl was taking a break from her job at a Wendy’s restaurant in Jerome, Idaho, when she disappeared without any of her belongings. Earlier that day, the restaurant’s manager had ordered the employee’s ex-boyfriend to leave for making threats against the girl and her co-workers.

Eighteen-year-old Miguel Rodriguez-Perez had a protective order against him for multiple incidents of domestic violence and seriously injuring the girl. An FBI agent contacted the Idaho State Police about issuing an AMBER Alert at 3:13 p.m. on May 20, 2019.

Idaho AMBER Alert Coordinators Leila McNeill and Tanea Parmenter had to consider whether the situation met the criteria for an alert.

“With the suspect’s actions on the night of her disappearance and the possibility that he may hurt her again, we decided it was prudent to issue an AMBER Alert,” said Parmenter. “We were really concerned for her safety and felt he could potentially fatally harm her.”

The alert was issued at 4:37 p.m. for the suspect, including a description of his black Audi A4, and the victim was reported to be wearing her Wendy’s uniform.

All Idaho AMBER Alerts are sent statewide to broadcasters, highway road signs, 511 (traffic/roadway information) and lottery machines. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a Wireless Emergency Alert to notify all mobile devices in the state.

Detectives traced the suspect’s cellphone to Las Vegas, Nevada. Idaho State Police contacted Nevada authorities and a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) was issued to state law enforcement.

At the same time, the FBI received a tip about a Facebook post indicating Rodriguez Perez was on his way to Surprise, Arizona. Officers knew the suspect had ties in Arizona and Mexico and were concerned he would take the victim across the border.

Arizona AMBER Alert Coordinator Chrystal Moore with the Arizona Department of Public Safety received the request to issue an AMBER Alert in her state at 6:13 p.m. Moore issued the alert because she believed Idaho had credible evidence the suspect and victim were in Arizona.

“We were concerned for her safety, due to the history of violence,” said Moore. “We were also worried he may have already hurt her and she might not be with him by the time we would find him.”

The Arizona AMBER Alert was distributed to all law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, highway signs, the Child Abduction Response Team, U.S. Marshall’s Office, Border Patrol, Customs and Immigration–and Mexico’s Alerta AMBER coordinator in case the suspect and victim crossed the border.

A member of the public notified police about seeing the suspect’s car in Surprise, Arizona. Local officers initiated a pursuit that ended when the suspect ditched his car and fled with the victim.

Police body-camera video shows the officers approaching the car with guns drawn. They soon found the suspect hiding with the victim in the bushes near a bank.

“The person who flagged down the police was a hero,” said Moore. “This person directly assisted in the recovery of a victim of abduction.”

Moore has been involved with all 28 AMBER Alerts issued in Arizona. She said federal, state, tribal and local agencies worked flawlessly together to resolve this case. She believes Idaho deserves extra credit for looking out for the best interest of the victim.

“I was thankful she was found safe,” added Parmenter. “I was proud of the investigators, dispatchers, and everyone involved; [of] how hard they worked to locate the victim and suspect.”

Parmenter said it was helpful to have a protocol and criteria in place before the alert. Idaho issues a test alert each month to make sure everyone knows what steps to take.

This multistate alert included challenges and lessons. For example, this was the first time the FBI had asked Idaho to issue an AMBER Alert on its behalf.

“It was an eye opener to remember that more agencies need to be involved with training and practice,” said Parmenter. “This includes all federal, tribal, state and local agencies. It also means considering all law enforcement officers and investigators from the Forest Service, Probation, and Fish and Game.”

Training is also critical to the success of Arizona’s AMBER Alert program. The state has a monthly test for the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) as well as a weekly test for the state alert system.

“Each alert is different and has its own inherent difficulties,” said Moore. “The only challenge was that the media was monitoring law enforcement channels and obtaining information shared at the scene about the cell phone being pinged by the FBI. This could have been detrimental to the case if law enforcement was not right on top of the vehicle at the time the media released this information.”

The case underscores the importance of careful strategies for interstate and cross-border collaboration, and when and how law enforcement shares information about cases through public alerts. Idaho and Arizona were well-trained and ready; despite the suspect taking the victim more than 700 miles away from her home, it was not far enough to evade these states’ finely tuned AMBER Alert programs and dedicated personnel.

Written by AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Administrator Jim Walters

2019 FAMILY ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS — (Back Row) Anna Green, Lesley Small, Yvonne Ambrose, Sarah Beck, Abby Potash, Edeanna Babiro
(Front Row) Byron Fassett, Gus Paidousis, Roger Day, Stephanie Dobson, Jodi Peterson, Diana Lambert, Hope Berg, James Jessee, Tammy Mata, Ladora Johnson, Pam Schmidt, Bonnie Ferenbach, Ron Laney, Theresa Lewis

For more than 15 years, the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) has conducted family roundtable meetings with the specific purpose of providing a venue for communication and collaboration between victims, surviving family members and law enforcement. These gatherings facilitate interaction and dialogue where participants can discuss lessons learned and provide information on criminal justice system services, first responder actions and interactions, as well as feedback from life experiences associated with their families’ missing, abducted, endangered or murdered child investigation.

These roundtables are a collaborative effort between AATTAP and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), with both organizations providing input on families who participate, subject matter experts (SMEs) who facilitate discussions, and trauma specialists to assist participants through what can be a very emotionally challenging experience. Each year’s event is designed to bring together families who are new to the roundtable, partnering them with family members from past roundtables who serve to guide and support them through the process.

Past roundtables have included sessions specific to the experiences and needs of siblings of missing, abducted and murdered children, long-term missing cases, parental abductions and international parental kidnappings. Events have included family members from almost every state in the nation, with participants bringing diversity of geography, ethnicity and perspectives on these difficult, life-altering cases; as no group is immune from the tragedy of losing a child.

Every roundtable event follows a defined process, built from more than 15 years of evidence-based practices in working with survivors. The AATTAP has formalized its approach and best practices through “A Guide to Survivor Roundtables: Improving the Criminal Justice System through Survivor Input,” authored by former AATTAP Administrator Phil Keith and former OJJDP Program Manager and current AATTAP Associate Ron Laney.

“I have participated in several family roundtables over the years in our 27-year search for our son Jacob. It is amazing to experience the strength and encouragement shared between families. Many of them have suffered unimaginable pain and loneliness depending on individual responses from law enforcement or their own communities. It is heartening to be part of a support system that can offer light during the darkest times for these families. Hope lives in those who are searching for answers. Shared hope is even more powerful!”

Patty Wetterling
Mother of Jacob, abducted and murdered October 22, 1989, at age 11

This process ensures survivors are given a voice during the roundtable event, and results in information and recommendations from which training and technical assistance content can be developed. This method also promotes more effective responses to law enforcement and other child and family protection professionals tasked with the safe recovery and support of the abducted child.

Family roundtable events have provided incredible insights and knowledge, which benefit participants and criminal justice practitioners alike. Through invaluable input from family members on experiences in the aftermath of their child going missing, law enforcement, after-care providers and judicial personnel can vastly expand their important analyses of how these cases are handled. Moreover, the first-hand experiences so bravely provided by the families often span initial law enforcement response through the investigation and judicial proceedings, yielding important information on the effects each phase or aspect of the case has on the family.

Roundtable events have been instrumental in bringing the family’s perspective to the work of AATTAP and AMBER Alert programs across the nation. Roundtable findings have spurred important initiatives, such as efforts to eliminate waiting periods or other delays in entering the missing child into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and related missing persons records systems. Recommendations from participating families have provided the impetus for expansion of curriculum and the development of new training courses in the areas of advanced cold case and long-term missing investigations; digital evidence in child abduction cases; and canvass, search and recovery strategies.

In enduring the horror and trauma associated with the victimization of their family members, family roundtable participants are profoundly qualified to offer invaluable information through personal observations and experiences. They reveal what law enforcement, advocates and prosecutors do well–and what they could do better–during the initial response, investigation, prosecutorial and post-trial phases of the case. Their voices are critical to improving how we serve families in the time of their greatest need.

AATTAP works closely with survivors through the roundtable initiative and its continuous improvement processes to fully support them in both providing and receiving information. AATTAP and NCMEC maintain a strong focus on assisting families as they work through their own recoveries, providing them with resources and access to subject matter experts to address their questions and concerns.

Family members often need information on law enforcement policies, the latest child recovery strategies and resources, as well as help with improved practices for keeping their child’s case active with local law enforcement and media. These sessions provide the opportunity to meet one-on-one with AATTAP and NCMEC staff, gain knowledge and establish ongoing support that can assist them well beyond the roundtable event.

The relationships forged and work undertaken through the roundtable events continues even after participants return home. Each session concludes with a list of action items and suggestions for AATTAP and NCMEC to enhance and/or develop case studies, training, technical assistance and resource publications. An after-action report is provided to the roundtable participants in the weeks following the event.

Examining the survivor perspective, and more importantly using that insight to better serve survivors and improve investigative and prosecutorial practices, does not happen quickly or without significant effort and investment from all parties. Law enforcement leaders, prosecutors, judges, and child protection officials must be willing to listen and learn from surviving family members and victims. Their experiences are both unique and invaluable to the process of protecting our children. OJJDP’s Family Roundtable program is designed to give survivors a voice, and to help us bring missing children safely home.

If you know a family who would benefit from participating in the Family Roundtable, please email [email protected] and a specialist will contact you.

Tanea Parmenter has been the Idaho AMBER Alert Co-Coordinator since July 2018. She has been the state’s Missing Person Clearinghouse Program Manager since 2012, just one year after she started with the Idaho State Police. Parmenter works closely with Co-Coordinator Leila McNeill on all calls and AMBER Alert requests.

Even before Parmenter began her career in law enforcement, she had always been interested in cases involving missing persons, child abductions and exploitation. Parmenter volunteered to help the clearinghouse manager and learned how to support law enforcement agencies with investigations. She goes on “ride alongs” with officers and attends roundtable events to discuss long-term missing cases.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert/missing persons program, and what do you think makes it successful?

This year we are making major strides by streamlining how we handle AMBER Alert requests. The agency entering a Missing Person record into the state system and NCIC can select a box to request an AMBER Alert. The alert request with photos and information goes to NCIC and to our 24/7 control center. The call center contacts me and I log in to review the request and contact the agency if needed. If approved, I click one button that triggers the distribution of the AMBER Alert to our alerting software, OnSolve’s CodeRed.

This improves the process because an agency doesn’t have to fill out a separate form and we don’t have to manually type in the message. The agency controls what information is disseminated, and it’s done instantly. In the past, most delays for AMBER Alerts involved waiting to receive the needed forms. This is speeding up the process from up to two hours to just 15 minutes.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?

I love my career with the Idaho State Police, and helping locate missing or abducted children is my passion. I see the need for local agencies to have more training, but they don’t always have the funding to send officers. I take the knowledge I gain at any training and bring it back to my state.

What emotional toll do you face during an AMBER Alert?

Any type of missing person case can be emotional, especially when dealing with the family. During an AMBER Alert call, no matter how many I have issued in the past, I continue to get that “gut check.” I have thoughts of “Is this a needed tool?” or “If I issue this alert, will the abductor respond negatively to the child?” as well as “If I don’t issue this alert, is there another way to help recover the missing person?”

Each call brings stress and adrenaline. I feel completely wiped out, but my mind won’t shut off. I still want to make sure I did everything correctly and asked the right questions. I don’t think I ever want to change how I feel because I think it helps us have a 100% return success rate. That passion and drive also is felt by everyone at the investigating agency. They know I am there for them 24/7 and I am willing to assist in whatever capacity they need. If I shut off my emotional response, I wouldn’t feel I was doing everything possible to recover a child safely.

What is one of your most memorable successes in working a missing child case?

Recently I had a request for an AMBER Alert for a mentally-challenged and physically handicapped 16-year-old female who had been the victim of online luring. This happened at 2 a.m. in a small town. The on-call officer worked in the narcotics unit and was not a part of the missing persons crime unit. He called my cell phone and said, “This is so new to me. I have never had a case like this and I don’t want to miss anything. Can you please help.” This type of situation is what motivates me to go to training, keep my policies updated and keep on-call 24/7.

We worked together to make sure we didn’t miss a step. The suspect wasn’t known, so I reached out to our cybercrimes unit to see if we could get any information from the victim’s digital tablet. Because the AMBER Alert had a credible tip on Facebook, we contacted the jurisdictions of the possible suspect. Our dispatchers did amazing research and found multiple addresses for the suspect in different states. I worked with the investigator to contact those jurisdictions to do welfare checks. It turned out great. We walked through our steps, stayed on target, worked across jurisdictions and located the child safely.

How have your career and life experiences strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing and abducted children?

Every call, every request, continues to strengthen my passion and commitment. Also, having the opportunity to meet with mothers, fathers and family members of those who are missing. My heart goes out to them. I put myself in their place and realize I would never want to feel that pain or loss.

How does being a parent make a difference in what you do at work?

As a single parent, one of my worst fears would be to have my child missing. I think the first time it truly hit me was during CEO training at NCMEC years ago. It was the first time I met Colleen Nick and heard her story. At the time, my daughter was the same age as when Morgan went missing. I couldn’t control the tears as Colleen relived her worst day. I imagined myself in that same desperation, loss and pain. I could truly feel the tightening in my chest. That was the day I dedicated my career to helping prevent these calls from happening. I have focused on training and prevention. I help the local agencies get the standard operating procedures in place and practice them before the actual call. I provide best practices, resources and training and I’m there for the agencies at any time.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?

I would like to see our program grow. We have very little staff to handle the entire state. If we had additional staff members, we could provide community outreach to get information out to the parents and children. We would have enough time to offer more case analysis, make sure every missing person case has everything needed like fingerprints, DNA, dental, photos, investigator notes, etc. We could offer more training to the local agencies. My next goal is to have a multi-jurisdictional CART team in all six regions of Idaho.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?

You can’t ever stop training or practicing. No one call is the same. No one situation is like the other and no one circumstance will have the same outcome.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?

If you are not working closely with your missing person clearinghouse partner, then you need to start doing it. This should be a great partnership that works hand in hand. Also, get to know the AMBER Alert Coordinators in other states. Go to an out-of-state training or conference and network. Eventually you will need them to issue an AMBER Alert in their state for your missing child. Finally, don’t stop growing, learning and studying these cases. Any information and tools you pick up now will help you in that next call.

The sun was barely up when a man hiding in the backseat jumped up inside his ex-girlfriend’s van in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. At 6:34 a.m., June 7, 2019, Jeffrey Lo allegedly struck the woman in the head with his pistol. Police say Lo pushed her into the passenger seat and drove off with the woman and their two daughters, ages one and three.

After traveling a short distance, the woman was able to get out of the vehicle. Lo sped away with the two girls in the van.

A passerby saw the “extremely distraught” and bloodied woman leaping away from the van and screaming that her children had just been kidnapped. They attempted to follow the van and quickly called police.

“A Good Samaritan stopped to help the mother and immediately called 911,” said Janell Twardowski, Minnesota’s AMBER Alert Coordinator. “The local police department then called the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to activate the AMBER Alert.”

A request was made for an AMBER Alert at 7:25 a.m.

Early Threats

In May 2019, a judge had granted a protective order for the woman against Lo. According to court records, Lo was abusive to the woman after the birth of their first daughter and threatened to kill her.

A few months earlier she said Lo started pulling her hair and punching her arm for sleeping on the floor instead of with him. The judge also gave sole custody of the girls to their mother.

“Her immediate call to 911 was crucial in ensuring a fast and immediate response, “Cottage Grove Public Safety Chief Pete Koerner told a reporter. “It was a tragic incident. I really feel for those children.”

Koerner said officers had a lot of things running through their heads after learning the suspect had a handgun.

The AMBER Alert

After determining the case met the proper criteria, an AMBER Alert was issued at 8:27 a.m. The alert was sent to all partners throughout Minnesota, including notifications to a law enforcement helicopter and K9 officers.

The original alert was issued with the wrong vehicle model. An updated alert was quickly sent out with the correct information. Because the mother was taken immediately to the hospital to treat her injuries, authorities had to issue the alert with only the ages of the children--but not their names.

The limited information did not stop the public from calling in tips to help law enforcement agencies narrow their search. Officers found the missing van parked on a street a few miles from the original kidnapping location, but no one was inside.

The police helicopter spotted the suspect in heavy underbrush. Officers on foot found Lo lying on his back, clutching the girls next to his chest. Both children were recovered unharmed at 10:27 a.m., exactly two hours after the AMBER Alert was issued.

“It was a relief when the children were located safe,” said Twardowski. “It’s the exact outcome we all hope for in these instances.”

Preparation Is Essential

Minnesota has issued 36 AMBER Alerts, but this was the first alert for Twardowski. She said training and having solid procedures in place were critical in getting the AMBER Alert out so effectively.

“With every AMBER Alert, time is of the essence to disseminate the information out to the public,” she said. “Everyone in law enforcement makes sure they are ready, so children can be recovered as quickly as possible.”

This case included help from a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter, the Department of Natural Resources, three local K-9 units and ten other law enforcement agencies.

Good Samaritan Honors

The Cottage Grove Police Department presented Christina Kelley with the Citizen Commendation Award on August 21, 2019, for stopping to assist the mother and helping police recover her children.

“I feel like I was meant to be there to help her, save her and get those kids back,” Kelley said. “I don’t think I would change anything I did that day. I would still help, because that’s just who I am.”

The mother of the abducted children said five cars passed by as she screamed for help. Kelley was the first one to stop.

“She changed my life that day,” the mother told a reporter. “I could have died that day.”

Through the nightmare of learning her daughter had been murdered, Pamela Foster knew she must start a movement for missing and abducted Native American children. On May 2, 2016, her 11-year-old daughter, Ashlynne Mike, was kidnapped and lured to accept a ride home from a stranger within the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.

“It’s the day my world shattered in a million pieces,” said Foster. “I had to become a warrior mom. I had to be brave and fight for my daughter who is gone too soon.”

At the National AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 30-August 1, 2019, Foster shared the helplessness she felt after learning her daughter was missing–and police were not prepared to issue an AMBER Alert.

“My family, friends and community wanted to help but they didn’t know where to start,” said Foster. “Everyone was in a state of confusion and I learned others were facing the same problem. I promised to do all I could to fix the loopholes and fight for the AMBER Alert in Indian Country.”

More than 200 federal, state, local and tribal leaders attended the symposium to learn how to implement the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018, a law providing funding and resources to integrate state and regional AMBER Alert Plans and resources with federally recognized tribes. The federal legislation was a direct response to the events surrounding Ashlynne’s death.

The symposium debuted a video describing Foster’s inspiration, through her incredible ordeal, to become an advocate for other children in Indian Country. The video concludes with Pam visiting a memorial site for her daughter. As she was praying and spreading corn pollen into the air, a large rainbow appeared in the sky, and then a second rainbow near the place Ashlynne’s body was found.

“When I saw the rainbow, that tells you Ashlynne was there,” said Jim Walters, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) administrator, “There is no greater strength than a parent who has been through a tragedy. Pamela is helping make sure every child in Indian Country has the same protection as a child living in the city.”

The symposium was made possible by the U.S. Department of Justice’s (US-DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and presented by AATTAP.

Brad Russ, National Criminal Justice Training Center Director at Fox Valley Technical College, of which AATTAP is a part, attended the symposium.

“I remember hearing about Ashlynne Mike when it first occurred and how upset we all were,” said Russ. “Jim Walters knew we couldn’t just be upset. He said we need to do something. He went to Shiprock to talk to elders, law enforcement leaders and others on Capitol Hill to make sure everyone knew we needed Indian Country legislation to stop a tragedy like this from happening again.”

The Ashlynne Mike AIIC Act In Action

The symposium provided an overview of what has been accomplished since the Ashlynne Mike Act was signed into law. Chyrl Jones, Deputy Administrator for the OJJDP, announced that all 23 tribes in New Mexico are fully participating in the AMBER Alert program.

“New Mexico is the first state to achieve 100 percent access,” said Jones. “Our goal is to develop a national network of AMBER Alert plans and ensure all communities benefit from this important tool.”

The symposium included representatives from 22 tribes located across 34 states. The Navajo Nation now has an AMBER Alert program up and running which spans 27,000 square miles in New Mexico, Utah and Arizona.

Harlan Cleveland, Emergency Management Director for the Navajo Division of Public Safety, urged tribes to get more training to set up their own AMBER Alert program.

“Take a proactive approach, don’t be reactive,” said Cleveland, “Be committed when you get that call. It is going to happen. You will get that call.”

He recommended tribal leaders work with state AMBER Alert coordinators, other stakeholders and elected officials to “piggyback” on existing AMBER Alert programs. Cleveland recounted how the tribe resolved a case that didn’t meet the AMBER Alert criteria.

“We issued an Endangered Missing Person Advisory, which is a powerful tool,” said Cleveland. “The suspect called in and said, ‘Take my photo down.’ Getting the child back is your reward when you are done.”

Regina Chacon, Bureau New Mexico Department of Public Safety Bureau Chief, suggested tribal leaders should have the “heart of a servant” while working with other partners during AMBER Alerts.

“When a child is missing or abducted, there should be no borders,” said Chacon. “But we still need to be respectful of the sovereignty and borders of others.”

The FBI estimates more than 7,000 Native American children are missing in the U.S. OJJDP awarded $1.8 million last year to develop training and technical assistance for missing and exploited children in tribal communities, plus an additional $1 million specifically to support the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country law.

“We are fully aware that when it comes to the safety of our children in Indian Country, the task before us is substantial,” said John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico. “Native Americans, including Native American children, experience violence at rates higher than any other ethnic group in the United States. The Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act is a positive step toward that goal.”

Funding from the Act supported a National Survey of Federally Recognized Tribes and State AMBER Alert Coordinators to assess the various needs, challenges and obstacles encountered by tribes in the integration of state or regional AMBER Alert communication plans.

Researchers attempted to contact 573 tribes and were able to collect data from 100 tribes–including the ten tribes involved with the 2007 AMBER Alert in Indian Country Pilot Project. At the time of the study, findings included the following:

86 tribes are authorized to take part in state AMBER Alert plans
76 tribes have an emergency plan for a child abduction
25 tribes use their own systems to disseminate an alert
50 tribes say more training is needed to implement alert plans

Participants at the symposium included representatives from these and other tribes, pueblos and nations (shown here in alphabetical order): Blackfeet, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche, Crow, Fort Peck, Hoopa Valley, Hopi, Isleta, Muckleshoot, Nak NU WE Sha Yakama, Navajo, Oneida, Prairie Band of Potawatomi, Pueblo of Pojuaque, Santa Clara Pueblo, Tohono O’odham, Umatilla, Washoe, White Mountain Apache, Yurok, and Zuni.

Pamela Foster concluded her remarks with a challenge to everyone. “We need to make changes to make children safe,” she said. “The children in your community rely on you. Do it for your children and your grandchildren. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Jenniffer Price oversees the Wisconsin AMBER Alert Program and serves as the Child Abduction Response Team (CART) commander. She has been in law enforcement since 1997 after starting as a patrol officer with the Wausau Police Department. Price worked briefly with the Madison Police Department at the University of Wisconsin before becoming a narcotics special agent for the Wisconsin Department of Justice in 2005. In 2008, she became a founding member of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s CART and has been the commander since 2011.

Price was promoted to be the Director of Special Operations in 2013, overseeing several departments including the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Statewide Intelligence Center, Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children and Adults, and the AMBER Alert Program. In 2017, she led her team to become the only certified team in Wisconsin and the 22nd certified CART in the country.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert/missing persons program, and what do you think makes it successful?

The Wisconsin AMBER Alert Program is embedded in our fusion center along with the Clearinghouse and CART. This integration provides immediate access to criminal intelligence technologies, analytical support, CART resources, as well as family liaison support for any missing child case.

The program is a collaborative effort with our partners at the Wisconsin Broadcaster’s Association, Public Radio, Educational Communications Board, EAS Committee, Department of Transportation, Division of Lottery, and the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center. This collaborative effort makes the program successful by ensuring each and every AMBER Alert activation is as timely and accurate as possible.

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?

On July 4, 1994, my 14-year-old cousin disappeared from his home and his body was located less than a week later. His killer – Joe Clark - wasn’t identified until 1995 when he attempted to kill another teenage boy. Clark was convicted by a jury of my cousin’s murder and sentenced to life in prison.

When my cousin went missing, I was attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison, studying apparel design. When his body was found, I changed my career path and began studying Behavioral Science and Law and Criminal Justice. I graduated with a BS in Behavioral Science and Law and a minor in Criminal Justice. It has been my drive and passion ever since to be involved in protecting missing and exploited children.

I often wonder if the AMBER Alert Program could have made a difference in my cousin’s disappearance and murder. Having seen the Wisconsin AMBER Alert Program result in the safe recovery of children also motivates me to continue this work.

What emotional toll do you face during an AMBER Alert?

I get so motivated because I have such a personal connection and that drives me to put everything I have into these AMBER Alerts. I never want it to end like it did for my family. That’s what’s driven me all these years. All but one Wisconsin AMBER Alert has resulted in a safe recovery.

Please share details about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case.

It’s hard to identify one story from all of the successful AMBER Alerts in Wisconsin because each one carries a unique memory. Whether it is the safe recovery of ten-month-old twins who were abducted during a car theft; the eight-year-old boy who was safety returned after his abductor saw the AMBER Alert and turned himself in; or Jayme Closs, where a citizen saw Jayme after escaping from her captor and recognized her from the AMBER Alert.

In each case, we learn valuable lessons about our AMBER Alert process, how to continually improve upon our AMBER Alert activations, and how our CART can enhance investigative efforts during an AMBER Alert.

How have your career and life experiences strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing and abducted children?

Having a child in the family go missing and never return shapes my commitment to missing and abducted children. My work in the ICAC task force, AMBER Alert program and CART has only strengthened my commitment through various child exploitation and missing child investigations I have worked throughout the years.

Does being a parent make a difference in what you do at work?

Being a parent really does impact me a lot. Even when I see an AMBER Alert in another state, I always worry and hope they find the child. I have a 17-year-old daughter and two stepsons, ages 10 and 12. Having a child of your own hits home, especially when the missing child is the same age and gender.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert program and other programs in the future?

The AMBER Alert program is robust, with a long history of success in finding missing children, both in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. I think continued funding is needed to support the AMBER Alert programs and Clearinghouses in each state.

How has training helped you in AMBER Alert cases?

AMBER Alert and CART training have helped me, as well as members of our AMBER Alert program and CART. The training has been integral to maintaining proficiencies and remaining abreast of current investigative trends and technologies.

AMBER Alerts and CART activations are low-frequency, high-risk events. Continual training is necessary for our teams to be the best of the best when looking for a missing child. Perhaps my cousin could have been found alive if an AMBER Alert program and trained CART personnel were available to provide the necessary investigative, analytical and family liaison support that we have in place today.

What advice would you give to other AMBER Alert partners?

Always evaluate each and every activation to learn from them and improve or enhance your efforts. Make sure your personnel are trained and receive continued training to evaluate and activate any AMBER Alert. Bringing your AMBER Alert and CART programs together is the most effective way to respond to a missing child. Those efforts are not only critical in the investigation, they are important and meaningful to the family of the missing child.

The tragic connection between missing and abducted children and child sex trafficking was spotlighted at the 2019 National AMBER Alert Symposium held April 16–18 at the Wa-Ke-Po Resort & Conference Center near Scottsdale, Arizona. The theme for the symposium was “Child Sex Trafficking Along the Northern and Southern United States Border Regions.”

Matt Dummermuth, the former National AMBER Alert Coordinator for DOJ, said during the keynote address that his experience prosecuting child sex crimes makes him appreciate the value of the AMBER Alert program.

“Your work is really a matter of life and death,” said Dummermuth. “Our top priority should be to ensure there are no victims in the first place, and the AMBER Alert will be central to accomplishing this mission.”

The symposium included 125 AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers and Child Abduction Response Team (CART) members from 43 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP), a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiative, sponsored the training.

Best Practices

The second edition of the AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide was released at the symposium. AATTAP brought together experts from across the country, including representatives from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), to develop an expanded and enhanced guide. It now provides examples of ‘what works’ for all professional and families involved with AMBER Alerts.

The guide is just one example of how AATTAP is applying part of the $104 million in funding provided by the DOJ for its child protection initiatives.

AATTAP also continues to support and expand its no-fee, on-demand eLearning and customizable classroom courses. “People in classes have solved cases as a direct result of participating in them,” said Jim Walters, AATTAP Program Administrator.

Child Sex Trafficking

Participants learned about tactics being used to lure, abduct, groom and exploit child sex trafficking victims and the need for an effective multidisciplinary response. Presentations and discussions around the scope, scale and nature of the problem in the U.S are highlighted in these 2018 statistics:

More than 23,500 endangered runaways were reported to NCMEC; one in seven was a victim of sex trafficking.
Of the 5,100 cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline; almost 1,400 involved minors.
NCMEC’s CyberTipline received 18.4 million reports; most involving child pornography, online enticement, child sex trafficking and child sexual molestation.

Participants indicated a need to ensure victims of trafficking, exploitation or who run away after being lured by a predator are included in the AMBER Alert process.

Indian Country

Elizabeth Strange, First Assistant U.S. Attorney in Arizona, said her state was a good choice for the symposium because Arizona borders Mexico and four states and is home to 23 federally recognized tribes. Her office works with tribal leaders to develop the best prevention and emergency response plans for each community.

Strange said she is seeing more victim-recovery success stories, including a 24-year-old Navajo woman who was taken from her family when she was nine months old. A nurse in Connecticut helped solve the case by using DNA to confirm her identity.

Harlan Cleveland, Emergency Management Director for the Navajo Division of Public Safety, spoke about creating his tribe’s AMBER Alert program. “We like our system.It works very well for us,” he said. “For example, we were recently able to recover an endangered child on the same day the child was reported missing.”

Significant progress is also being made in Indian Country with the following initiatives:

The Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act is providing funding and training to help tribes implement functional child protection alerts.
The National Survey of Federally Recognized Tribes and State AMBER Alert Coordinators, gleaning data from 100 tribes, found the majority of tribes do not have their own child abduction emergency response plans. More work is needed to promote collaboration between tribes and states to include tribes in their respective state AMBER Alert plans, or to support tribes’ development and enactment of their own plans.
The DOJ’s Tribal Access Program (TAP) provides access to national crime information systems for federally authorized criminal and non-criminal justice purposes; tribal participation is expanding from 47 to 72 tribes.
The AMBER Alert in Indian Country website has an array of information to support work related to trafficking, including investigation, intervention, and the prevention of victimization and exploitation.

More than 1,600 tribal officials and community members have been trained since DOJ initiated AMBER Alert in Indian Country in 2007.

Our partnership with tribes underscores one of the enduring challenges to the AMBER Alert network – that child abductors and child predators generally do not observe jurisdictional boundaries. Those challenges become even more imposing when the boundaries in question are our international borders.

Southern Border

The Southern Border Initiative (SBI) was created by DOJ in 2006 to extend the AMBER Alert Program into Mexico. So far, more than 700 state, local and federal child protection officials in the U.S. and Mexico have participated in joint training exercises, and have attended six regional meetings and a tri-national AMBER Alert conference.

AATTAP Program Administrator Jim Walters said Mexico is an important partner due to the high propensity for both U.S. and Mexican children to be abducted and/or trafficked across the border. “At the end of the day, it’s about developing relationships,” he said. “It’s about having resources at the ready when abductors and their victims cross border lines.”

Challenges

The symposium provided AMBER Alert partners with an opportunity to share prominent challenges they face, including:

Workload: Many are overwhelmed with handling numerous alerts and handling other duties unrelated to the AMBER Alert.
Support: Some incidents go unnoticed until there is a high-profile case.
Funding: Most do not have legislative funding in place, leaving little room for program enhancements, training or outreach.
Integration: Additional assistance and cultural training are needed to integrate tribes into state AMBER Alert systems.
Alert fatigue: Many are concerned the effectiveness of the AMBER Alert is diminishing because of numerous alerts (Blue, Silver and Ashanti), indicating most cases can already be handled with Endangered Missing Advisories.
Missing partners: Participants would like broadcaster association members and representatives from Mexico and Canada to take part in future trainings to keep alerts functioning effectively.

Even though participants were away from their offices during the symposium, Walters noted it didn’t stop them from actively working on cases. During the three-day symposium, at least five cases were handled, with four children safely recovered.

“It’s a reminder that our AMBER Alert Coordinators are on call every day, no matter where they are or what they are doing,” said Walters. “It was amazing to watch.”

A mother’s story

Pattie Bastian shared her nearly 32-year journey to bring her daughter’s killer to justice. Her 13-year-old daughter Jennifer took a bike to ride to a park near Tacoma, Washington, on August 4, 1986. Her body and bike were found in the park 28 days later.

“The murder was so shocking, so unusual,” she said. “The community mourned but we couldn’t comprehend anything like that ever could happen again.”

A few years after her daughter’s death, Bastian decided to have a children’s safety fair to help other children and their families. While the fair started small, 10 years later, more than 10,000 people attended at the Tacoma Dome.

Detectives investigated more than 2,300 tips, but fewer leads came in as time went on. In the spring of 2016, a detective utilized new DNA technology to create a composite of the killer’s physical attributes, including skin complexion, hair and eye color.

On May 10, 2018, Bastian received word the murderer had been found. Robert Dwane Washburn pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to nearly 27 years in prison on January 25, 2019.

Bastian told participants to keep in mind the deep impressions their work and interactions will have on families after a child abduction.

“Your display of humanity and concern will be remembered long after the case is solved, becomes cold, or never ends,” she said. “You are a special brand of humans. I’m proud to be here with you and, on behalf of the families you will contact, and, in whose lives you will make a significant difference, I say thank you.”

Detective Sergeant Patrick Beumler is the Family Violence/ Missing Persons Supervisor for the Glendale, Arizona, Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division Special Victim’s Unit. He has served with the Glendale Police Department for more than 19 years. Beumler is an Arizona POST Domestic Violence Investigations Trainer and recipient of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Distinguished Service Award for his assistance implementing the Domestic Violence Strangulation Program in 2013. In 2014, he received the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership Award for First- Line Supervisor Training on Violence Against Women.

Sgt. Beumler was one of the original founding members of the Arizona Child Abduction Response Team (AZCART) in 2011. He has been deployed across the state of Arizona on various abduction and at-risk missing child investigations as an AZCART investigator. In 2018 he became the State Coordinator for AZCART where he currently serves until the end of his term on July 1, 2019.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR CART AND MISSING PERSONS PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE YOUR PROGRAMS SUCCESSFUL?

Having a single overarching state coordinating agency for AZCART, with one Southern Branch coordinating agency and hopefully soon a Northern Branch coordinating agency. They are all under the same certification, which helps ensure training, investigative practices, forms and other protocols are uniform and consistent. This also helps large-scale deployments succeed because any certified employee can be assigned to any role needed. Each member is familiar with the documents, investigative techniques, software and other best practices being utilized so we are able to efficiently assist the jurisdictional agency requesting our help. Having branches allows for a quick response of personnel and resources for critical investigations.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

I have three young children myself and that makes it easy for me to put myself into a parent’s shoes; I would want to know everything possible is being done to recover my child safely and quickly. I am also driven in abduction cases to see that offenders are held accountable. It is also key to ensure we are conducting lawful and efficient investigations that collect and preserve evidence.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR PROGRAMS?

Deployments rarely happen at an opportune time, so the location, time of day and the number of responders may be less than ideal for the investigation. Members belong to the team on a voluntary basis, so their primary duty can sometimes hinder the number of responders or the timing of the response.

We rotate the coordinating agency for the program on a yearly basis, so a new agency may find it challenging in getting organized internally for taking on the responsibility of preparing equipment and personnel. Another challenge can be maintaining an emphasis on training and skill building so current members remain ready for a deployment. It can also be difficult for the coordinating agency to balance its primary duties with the responsibility of growing the program and attracting new member agencies.

Turnover can also be a challenge as AZCART trained personnel transfer positions or promote out of a position. Trying to replace that knowledge base can be difficult at times.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE PROGRAMS?

I would like to see our Northern Branch get established and off the ground. We do have some interested agencies, so I see it as an attainable opportunity. My vision for the program is that eventually we will have a state or federal funding source to facilitate dedicated equipment, training and other resources for certified child abduction response teams and their members.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT AND OTHER OPERATIONS SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED?

Every safe recovery of a child is a success story for us. Unfortunately, one of the most memorable missing child cases we had is one where there never was a recovery. The Jhessye Shockley investigation started as a reported abduction which resulted in an AMBER Alert being activated; however, it soon transitioned into a FACA (false allegation of child abduction) case to cover up the homicide of Jhessye.

AZCART, Team ADAM from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI and other partners assisted with various aspects of the investigation that included a landfill search lasting several months. This investigation was a great accomplishment because of the team work between agencies and in the end a successful “no body” homicide investigation which resulted in a life sentence plus 20 years for Jhessye’s mother. Many lessons were learned which led to the formulation of timeline/checklists and standardizing the information we now use on any at-risk missing or abduction case.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

My commitment to helping endangered, missing and abducted children has been strengthened by the connections I have made with the people I met in this position. I have a strong network of people I can count on for assistance and information. I also know the people I have trained are ready to do the job when called upon.

HOW HAS TRAINING HELPED YOU IN AMBER ALERT CASES?

Uniform training has helped keep responders on the same page with protocols, practices and expectations for an AMBER Alert case all across the state.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS?

Ensure training and oversight committee meetings occur at least quarterly so you see each other’s faces, practice working through issues together and so that everyone stays up-to-date on what’s going on elsewhere in the state. This allows you to take that information back to your agency and improve your responses.

Nona Best is the Director of the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons. She has been with the center under purview of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol since 2009. Her state career began in 2003 as a corrections officer, also serving as a processing assistant for the State Bureau of Investigation, and as a lottery supervisor for the Alcohol Law Enforcement branch. Best became interested in missing juvenile cases as her office while supervising the lottery was juxtaposed closely to the Center for Missing Persons. Astounded at the number of missing juvenile cases, she wanted to pursue work with the center. Best now trains law enforcement officers on how to handle missing persons, sex trafficking and international abduction cases. She also works as an advocate for abused and neglected children with the Guardian Ad Litem program.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR MISSING PERSONS PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE YOUR PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL?

I think what is unique about the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons is it is a one-stop shop. I handle all missing persons, adults and children for the state. All three of the state’s alert systems (AMBER, SILVER, EAS and BLUE) are housed and activated from the Center, which is manned 24/7 through our nationally known number, 800- 522-KIDS (5437). We are successful because we try to keep our training levels up. I get training and go out and train every chance I get. Once I receive training, I share it with my chain of command and through the communication line with troopers so we can grow strong together. Everyone understands why any request from the center is needed and why it is a priority.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

First and foremost I think it’s because I’m a mother and a foster parent. I can’t imagine not knowing where my child is. I worry about the children out there and their safety. I know the average person doesn’t understand how people can go missing without a clue or reason. It’s hard when you have a parent or grandparent on the phone crying, to not cry with them. I sometimes have to start praying and trying to keep the parent encouraged with hope. What I love about my job is helping left-behind parents and siblings at their most vulnerable time and being able to assist them in a way that gives them understanding about the process of finding their missing loved ones.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT AND MISSING PERSON PROGRAMS?

I work with a great group of people. For the most part I get to work the programs and make changes as I see fit. I have such great support from above that I’m able to get our needs met without delays.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT AND OTHER PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE?

I would love to see all my alert programs automated with no paper trail. The Blue alert is the only alert that is automated in a way that law enforcement can go in and create their request online and we approve it online. We are working to get the Silver and AMBER Alert programs set up that way.

Also, I continue to advocate for stricter criteria for our Silver Alert program. The current language states the alert is for a person “believed to be” suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or a disability that requires them to be protected from abuse or harm.

I would like the criteria to say that the person is “diagnosed” rather than “believed to be” suffering. I would also like to have more annual statewide training sessions and a stronger relationship with our Indian Country partners.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT AND CENTER FOR MISSING PERSONS SUPPORT THE OUTCOME?

During the past 10 years there are many good ones, and sad ones, to remember. We were really blessed in one case from 2016 in New Hanover County. A six-year-old girl was abducted from her yard while playing with her siblings.

A convicted sex offender was riding by on a moped and just stopped, scooped her up and took off. Thankfully the kids ran in and told their parents immediately. The public also started calling 911 saying there was a small child on a moped without a helmet. Although it was 18 hours before the child was located, the suspect was identified fairly quickly. The victim was found the next day chained to a tree in the woods about eight miles from her home.

Sheriff McMahon said it best, “I think you can say we beat the odds today.” We are all amazed and grateful she was alive; but at the same time we were hurt that this child and her family had to experience this.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR AND/OR CLEARINGHOUSE MANAGER, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

The job and training really keep you on your toes. You think about it everywhere you go. If I’m in public and I see a child wandering or running around alone, I automatically go into alert mode. I start looking for parents, watching the child and sometimes getting upset that parents could be so careless.

My commitment to training and talking to youth has increased now more than ever due to sex trafficking. It is so prevalent and growing so fast but it’s like a shadow. No one is paying attention except law enforcement. Teens, even runaways, still don’t seem to be aware of or worry about sex trafficking.

State laws need to be tightened and changed to provide the left-behind parents with more protection and rights. An absent parent should be held accountable and not allowed to pick up and leave with a child. The trauma to the child and left-behind parent is tremendous. The left-behind parent also has to come up with money to start the proceedings to get the child back. I just feel that is so wrong.

HOW HAS TRAINING HELPED YOU IN AMBER ALERT CASES?

AMBER Alert trainings like the annual symposiums are priceless. The networking and classes open your mind to new ideas and always make me rededicate myself to do all I can. I always come home with a long to-do list. The training helps me be the state’s expert on missing and abducted persons and supports me in keeping all our programs running with progress.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS?

Get training, and always feel free to call on your AMBER Alert partners. Everyone I have ever called with a question, a request for assistance, a program information sheet or anything else has been more than happy to help. It is a wonderful world to be in when people doing the same work as you, have the same passion for the work as you are willing to offer assistance.

I love that you also get to go put faces with the names at the national level. I would also suggest they share their training opportunities with others who are interested in or work missing person’s cases.

It seems like almost daily we hear stories about teens who go missing, found as victims of trafficking and exploitation or assaulted and even murdered by a predator. While those cases may generate headlines or brief flurries of media interest, what is sometimes missed is how their cases began and how we as first responders, call takers and investigators approached their case from the onset.

All too often those cases began as a report of a missing child who was either characterized by the family from the start as voluntarily missing or whose case was approached as a probable runaway by law enforcement. Sadly, many of those we “thought” were runaways or were voluntarily missing were actually abducted, lured away or were not allowed to return by a predator. Regardless of how they went missing, the bottom line is that their cases did not receive the same degree of attention or investigative resources that a reported abduction or endangered missing classification might have prompted.

CREATING A CULTURAL CHANGE

In order to properly address the issue of runaways and voluntary missing in terms of how we respond and investigate, we have to create a cultural change in law enforcement. It’s a fact that most officers respond to dozens or even hundreds of reports of runaways each year. In the vast majority of these cases the child is reunited with their family or comes home on his or her own. It is easy to see how we can become complacent to the fact that there are children in that group that will never come home without our help.

When I was a young police officer, I remember how we handled domestic disturbances. The police officer was called on to be both a protector and a counselor. I still remember my first “DV” call and watching my supervisor handle the situation by driving the husband (who was in my mind at least, clearly the aggressor) to a local motel and telling him that if he came back to the house that night, he was going to go to jail. Of course, he came back, of course he assaulted his wife and of course he went to jail. It took an outcry from the public and media, litigation in the courts and finally case law to make us rethink how we dealt with family violence.

Fortunately, it’s now second nature to young recruits to identify the primary aggressors, make arrests, seek protective orders and provide referrals to victim services. We had a cultural change and it was for the better. The same thing happened with seat belts, open containers and child safety seats.

It is time that we had the same cultural shift in regards to runaways. Instead of approaching the report of a voluntary missing young person as a delinquency matter, let’s teach recruits and veterans alike to approach these cases from the standpoint of protecting the child. The actions taken by first responders and call takers are the most important factors in protecting the missing child regardless of how they went missing. We know from over 100 case reviews conducted by the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program that in cases where first responders failed to properly assess the circumstances, secure crime scenes, missed evidence or suspect information; the success rate in terms of successfully recovering the missing child plummeted.

An estimated 71 percent of runaways are thought to have been endangered during their runaway episode. Factors such as substance dependency, use of hard drugs, sexual or physical abuse, presence in a place where criminal activity was occurring, or because of their extremely young age (13 years old or younger) place even the voluntary runaway at risk.1

Every runaway case should be considered in terms of potential threats facing the child, not the acts of the child. First responders and call takers need to determine if there are elements present that suggest the child is running from abuse in the home, or if they have been lured away by a predator through use of technology or grooming. Were they abducted or are they voluntarily missing but at risk to the many dangers that threaten the runaway child? If we looked at it from the perspective of threats to the child, rather than delinquency by the child, we would see an improvement in how we approach these cases from the onset.

Some key takeaways have come forth from more than 15 roundtables and listening sessions conducted by the AATTAP with surviving family members of missing, abducted and murdered children. These mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and others are sharing what they learned when their child went missing.

Listen to the parents. They know their child and if they tell you the child is not a runaway, is at risk, or that their missing episode is out of character; listen to them and investigate, analyze and assess as though a crime has occurred; or until you know for a fact the child is safe.
Always dispatch an officer. This is especially relevant to a first responder’s mindset in cases where the family or child are known to law enforcement. It may seem like the report from a family member or other party can be taken over the phone, but this is a dangerous practice because it prevents the officer from putting eyes on the location where the child lives or was last seen. It is impossible to conduct a true assessment of the risk to the child without knowing what clues or warning signs you are missing if not there in person.
Always ask to search the home. Even if the reporting party indicates the child went missing from another location or didn’t return home on time, we always ask permission to search the home for clues that might show how or when the child left the home and under what circumstances.
- In one case, officers responding to a “routine” runaway report asked to search the missing teenager’s room and found information that showed she had left the home to meet an individual who was determined to be a registered sex offender. Officers were able to intercept the child and take the child predator into custody before she was harmed. Had they not searched her room, there is no telling what may have befallen that child.
Know how to access, analyze and utilize digital evidence and social networking. More and more we see cases where children are lured from home by an individual they meet on line. Often the true identity of this person is unknown by the child before they are in the grasp of a predator. Social networking, cell technology and other digital evidence techniques can often prove the difference between victimization and a safe recovery.
Err on the side of protecting the child. When in doubt about whether the child is endangered or is in the midst of a voluntary runaway episode, go with protecting the child first.

Yes, there will be cases where we put a lot of work into recovering a child who is simply angry with a parent, hanging with friends after hours or even engaged in delinquent behavior. All that extra work is nothing in comparison to the pain and trauma that comes with that one child we miss, that one time we don’t issue the alert, call out additional resources or put our best efforts into the investigation, only to find out later that we failed them by using old thinking and old approaches.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO IMPROVE RESPONSE TO REPORTS OF RUNAWAYS AND VOLUNTARY MISSING CHILDREN, DOWNLOAD RESOURCES AND ATTEND TRAINING.

AATTAP’s Investigative Checklists: https://amberadvocate.org/investigative-checklists/
Classroom and online training in investigative strategies provided free of charge by AATTAP and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention https://www.amberadvocate. org/training-resources/
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Investigative Guide: http://www. missingkids.com/content/dam/pdfs/publications/nc74.pdf

IT’S TIME TO RETHINK HOW WE HANDLE RUNAWAYS AND MISSING CHILDREN; IT STARTS WITH YOU.

For five days in February 2018, Washington state detectives posed as underage boys and girls online and received more than 100 responses from persons soliciting sexual activity with them. The 15th “Net Nanny” operation conducted by the Missing and Exploited Children Task Force led to the arrests of 25 people.

“We always think no one will show up but they always do,” said Washington State Sergeant Carlos Rodriguez. “I‘m glad we can remove them from society but it is also hurtful to know people are showing up to have sex with children.”

The multi-agency task force has made more than 246 arrests and rescued more than 30 children since the operations began in 2015. The alleged perpetrators are arrested after they arrive at the location the task force arranged for meeting the child. Some arrive with child pornography on their mobile devices.

Washington AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit Program Manager Carri Gordon was also involved in the operation. “We feel this operation was very successful,” said Gordon. “We removed some really bad people who cannot victimize any more kids.”

Detectives say some of the recovered children have come from homes of the perpetrators or homes where they have access. Many of the people who were arrested are already on the sex offender registry. “What does a sex offender look like? They look like you, me and everyone else,” added Rodriguez.

Thanksgiving weekend is usually the time for family reunions, but for one Houston family it involved a frantic search for a two-year-old child. During the evening of November 24, 2018, Jatavia Bookman called the Houston Police Department (HPD) to report Prentis Curtis had taken her son Jeremiah Lambert and the family’s blue Dodge Nitro without permission.

“Initially this case was treated as a missing persons case,” said HPD Homicide Lieutenant Zachary Becker.” Jeremiah’s mother did not initially consider him at risk because he was in the care of a trusted family member who was late returning home.”

That night the family started handing out fliers at the apartment to see if anyone had seen their child. The following day Jeremiah was still missing and the family called police at 12:36 pm. to request an AMBER Alert.

“The mother eventually told us the person was not an actual family member and she believed he was suicidal,” said Becker.

HPD contacted Beth Alberts, CEO of Texas Center for the Missing (TCM) and director of the Houston Regional AMBER Alert Program, at 4:36 p.m. with the request to issue an AMBER Alert. Alberts determined the case met the criteria for activation.

“The suspect was a felon out on parole and under ankle-monitoring supervision with a curfew,” said Alberts. “He violated curfew and was seen on a video in a drug-infested area after abducting the child.”

Alberts issued the alert at 4:54 p.m. by entering the information in the Houston Regional AMBER Alert online distribution system. The system sends emails to all regional media, law enforcement, transportation and individuals who sign up to receive the alert. She placed the information on Facebook and Twitter, and also contacted the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Endangered Child to send out a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA).

A citizen saw the alert on the local news and called 911 after recognizing the suspect and vehicle. Police found Curtis and the child at a local hotel at 6:03 p.m.

“I’m grateful the system worked so well and so quickly,” said Becker. “We had the child located and recovered unharmed within about one hour.”

The family was relieved Jeremiah was safe after hours of panic and worry. “I can breathe now. I felt like I was dead out here. I couldn’t breathe. I can breathe now,” the victim’s grandmother, Avis Knox, told the local KTRK news station.

The alert was canceled at 6:26 p.m. and TCM sent an after-action report to police at 7 p.m.

“I am relieved he is safe and happy to have been a part of his recovery,” added Alberts. “I am also grateful the suspect is in custody and has been charged with kidnapping.”

HPD says having a close relationship and getting training from TCM helped in the quick recovery of the victim. The supervisor involved in this case had taken part in an AMBER Alert training for 20 new officers on November 14, just 10 day s before the event.

“Having that pre-existing relationship, along with frequent training, reduces obstacles and makes our operation function quickly and smoothly when it’s critical,” said Becker.

Even though this AMBER Alert was successful, Becker said HPD learned some valuable lessons. In examining the patrol officer’s initial interview and operating from the mother’s initial position that the child was safe, they recognized more intensive interview is needed early on in these types of cases.

“This case highlighted for us the need to have a much more thorough interview with the reporting person from the start,” he said. “Having an investigator conduct a comprehensive interview in a formal environment would likely have led to learning pertinent facts sooner and probably a quicker resolution to the entire incident.”

Alberts said this incident shows the AMBER Alert is an effective tool for finding endangered children quickly and safely, but emphasized the importance of AMBER Alert program personnel collaborating closely with the law enforcement agency handling the investigation. “True cooperation can make the difference between life and death for some of these vulnerable children.”

The Houston Regional AMBER Alert program began on December 7, 2001, and has issued 188 alerts for 228 children with a 95 percent successful recovery rate. To date, 216 children have been recovered alive, eight were recovered deceased, but were discovered more quickly because of the alert. Four children remain missing.

Everyone involved in the safe recovery of Jeremiah says they will always be motivated to do everything possible to find missing children.

“One of my favorite parts about being an AMBER Alert Coordinator is that feeling of being a part of a team of people all working toward the same goal—quickly recovering a missing child,” said Alberts. “I am incredibly proud to be involved in the AMBER Alert program.”

“Children are the most vulnerable and innocent people in our society,” concluded Becker. “Knowing how quick action can potentially prevent terrible outcomes motivates me to try to work these cases as aggressively as possible.”

William “Bill” Smith has been the Kansas AMBER Alert coordinator since 2013. He is the Special Agent in Charge at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), managing field investigations spanning 36 counties in Northeast Kansas. Smith has been with KBI since 2001, and also served with the Dallas Police Department. His KBI duties have included Special Operations, Cyber Crimes, and Field Investigations. Smith graduated from Kansas State University and is an alumnus of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He holds a Lean Six Sigma certification in Performance and Process Improvement from the University of Kansas.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL?

The KBI started the Kansas AMBER Alert program in 2002 and the blueprint for success has steadily evolved. The Kansas program is unique in how it harnesses available technology. We focus on using a robust, flexible and mobile-friendly system for the AMBER Alert. The Kansas Information Consortium (KIC) developed a custom-built program that allows us to rapidly load important information and pictures from any internet capable device anywhere. This allows us to swiftly deliver the alert to the media and public. During a child abduction, minutes matter and we seek to save them by using technology, strong executive leadership, continuous process improvement and resilient partnerships. Leadership is the backbone in the collaborative success between law enforcement, media, technical partners, advocacy groups and citizens. KBI Director Kirk Thompson and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt spearhead an executive committee that facilitates the success of the Kansas AMBER Alert Program. We continually implement changes to improve each AMBER Alert activation and our training by measuring and mapping everything involved in the alert. Our formalized evaluation strategy increases speed, eliminates waste, reduces error and cultivates efficiency. Partnerships with all stakeholders are key to the program’s success. From the patrol officer to the IT professional, thoughtful engagements and training increases their response, participation and assistance. This approach leads to better outcomes when it counts.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

When the call comes in about an abducted child, I know KBI special agents and our AMBER Alert program can make the difference in saving a child’s life. It is very motivating, emotionally intense and yet empowering to feel the responsibility to act decisively and concretely during a chaotic event, to striving to achieve a positive outcome.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM?

The number one challenge facing all AMBER Alert programs is the rapid evolution of how the public is receiving media and messages. Looking back sixteen years to 2002, we were using flip phones and no one used text messages. Now we carry computers in our pockets with amazing capabilities. We need to prepare for where technology and communication are headed in the next 16 years and decide where to invest in order to move the program in a similar direction.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE PROGRAM?

I would like to see the Department of Justice AMBER Alert initiative evolve nationally in new ways to broaden and deepen support for the states. A properly-funded national initiative could build a “plug-and-play” infrastructure for all programs. A nationwide program could evolve far more rapidly than 50-plus separate programs.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED?

In 2016, a local Police Department contacted KBI and requested an AMBER Alert. They shared that two children were removed from school by their father. The children had been in the custody of their mother, and the father was reported to not have custody. Prior to that day, the father allegedly made a series of very threatening statements to the mother about harming the children. This combination of facts led KBI to approve and launch an AMBER Alert. KBI and other law enforcement agencies moved swiftly to locate the children. The alert was launched 31 minutes after the request, and 16 minutes later the father and children were located safely. This alert was memorable because of the speed of the request and subsequent speed of the AMBER Alert and investigative response.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

Everything I have seen and done in the last five years as an AMBER Alert Coordinator has strengthened my commitment to children. I know timely actions of law enforcement, media, technical partners, advocacy groups, coordinators and citizens can make the difference-–and the AMBER Alert leads from the front.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS?

Be introspective. Learn about everything that occurs within your realm of control as it relates to AMBER Alert. Understand how to continuously evolve. Be a statesperson, and build meaningful bridges with all partners because an AMBER Alert cannot succeed if the message does not proliferate through all technology and media allies.

Joshua H. Kean is a senior investigator and has been a member of the New York State Police (NYSP) for 15 years. He is the supervisor of the Special Victims Unit and the NYS AMBER Alert Coordinator. Kean has assisted the NYSP Community Narcotics Enforcement Team with undercover operations involving drug sales and human trafficking. He is responsible for law enforcement training in the areas of child abuse and sexual offense investigations, elder abuse and the AMBER Alert. Kean also serves on the NYS Children’s Justice Task Force, Sex Assault Response Team, Committee for Coordination of Police Services to Elderly Persons, Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking, and other advisory groups related to special victims.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL?

New York State is unique because it is a very large state. We worked with our dedicated partners to split the state into 12 alert activation regions to ensure residents do not become desensitized. We want the people of New York to feel a sense of urgency with every activation. We attribute our success to team work. We work very closely with the NYS Broadcasters Association, Office of Emergency Management, Sheriffs Association, Association of the Chiefs of Police, Missing Persons Clearinghouse, Lottery, Department of Transportation, and Thruway Authority. After every AMBER Alert, we have a review of that case with the investigating agency and our partners to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our response and operations, and how we can do better. The NYS AMBER Alert program is shaped by and continues to improve because of these after-action reviews. We also have annual meetings with our partners to discuss past and current practices, as well as what we would like to see in the future. A major contributor to the success we’ve experienced in New York is that we have a strong partnership with surrounding states. We have an agreement in place that if AMBER Alerts have been activated in surrounding states and they request us to activate, we activate.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

My children are my motivation. I am a father of four; ages 18, 12, 11 and 9. I look at each case thinking, “If this was my child how would I want it handled?” I have always had a passion for helping and working with children. One of the first jobs I had as a teenager was a youth counselor. I strived to provide a safe and fun environment for the neighborhood children. I was a varsity high school baseball coach for a local high school and I am currently the head coach for my daughter’s traveling softball team. The children I have worked with know they can come to me with anything without any judgment. When I joined the NYSP I wanted to be the voice for those who didn’t have one. I started working child abuse and child sexual assault cases in 2008 and became a certified child forensic interviewer to better serve child victims.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM?

I have noticed in my short time as the AMBER Alert Coordinator that there is a need for training regarding the criteria for an AMBER Alert and how to utilize this tool.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE PROGRAM?

I would like to provide training around the state on New York’s AMBER Alert criteria and how to request an activation. In a child abduction, every second counts. I would like to see all of the state AMBER Alert systems connected. Although we have a great working relationship with each state, activating an alert in another state requires us to contact that AMBER Coordinator and provide information. Then the other coordinator has to import all of the data into their system and send out the alert. If our systems were connected, we could just send the information electronically so they can review it and send the alert. This would cut minutes off of the process, which is so important when every second counts.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE. HOW DID THE AMBER ALERT SUPPORT THE OUTCOME? WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED?

We had a case with 16- and 18-year-old suspects who took a 12-year-old child early in the morning, stole a gun, and a vehicle that contained another gun. We activated an AMBER Alert and recovered the child within a few hours. Because of the AMBER Alert, the suspects hid in a vacant house in the woods near one of their homes. When one suspect attempted to go home to get supplies, the police were contacted by his mother and subsequently located the child and suspects.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

I have more than 15 years of law enforcement experience and more than 11 years dealing directly with children who have been physically and sexually abused and/or neglected and maltreated. There is no greater feeling than being part of a case that brings a child home safe.

HOW HAS TRAINING HELPED YOU IN AMBER ALERT CASES?

Training has helped our unit prepare for cases involving abducted children. We regularly practice weekly by giving each other different scenarios and working through a mock activation. We do this so that in real cases, when the criteria to activate are present, we can execute the AMBER Alert process with ease and accuracy.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER AMBER ALERT PARTNERS?

Get to know your bordering states AMBER Alert Coordinators and Missing Person Clearinghouse Managers. One of the most valuable events since becoming the NYS AMBER Alert Coordinator was attending the National AMBER Alert Symposium. I could put names with faces, develop lasting relationships, and learn from their experiences. I look forward to the next one.

The safe recovery of an abducted child after an AMBER Alert doesn’t mean the end of work that needs to be done to support the family and build greater capacity for effective response with future incidents. Recognizing this, the Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert Committee (NOAAC) developed an AMBER Alert Family Response Plan to seek advice and information from the victim’s family after the work of law enforcement investigators and the power of strategic public alerting has brought a child safely home.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) believes the plan is the first formalized program at the local level to determine how the family perceived the work of law enforcement and how they feel they were treated during the investigation and AMBER Alert issuance. The family can also learn more through this program about additional resources from law enforcement and the greater community that are needed when these incidents occur.

The recognition of the need by the NOAAC arose in the spring of 2018, during the early moments of an AMBER Alert in Ohio when officers had to break up a family fight outside the police station. Tensions were high and the family needed immediate attention, but officers were busy pursuing leads. It became clear at that time more needed to be done to help victims and their families in the midst of endangered missing and abducted child cases.

“Our committee was primarily focused on law enforcement,” said Christopher Minek, Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert Coordinator. “We decided we needed to expand our knowledge for the victims of the AMBER Alert.”

Minek reached out to Gina DeJesus and her family to help with the plan. DeJesus was abducted in 2004 while walking to school and held in captivity for nine years with two other hostages in Cleveland, Ohio. Minek also gathered input from Jill Smialek of Cuyahoga County Witness Victims Services.

“Upon gaining her freedom, DeJesus has worked as a victim’s advocate,” said John T. Majoy, Newburgh Heights Police Chief and NOAAC Chair. “The concept of pairing her with a victim advocacy expert provides another dimension for law enforcement agencies.”

The Family Response Plan was implemented in June 2018 and includes a standardized protocol for law enforcement and victim services’ work with the family involved in an AMBER Alert. “The goal of the plan is to provide crisis stabilization and trauma informed communication by gathering information from families involved in an AMBER Alert,” said Minek.

Phase one of the plan provides step-by-step instructions on how a victim or witness service representative contacts family members to assess their willingness to participate in the plan. The family is given information on how their answers can help improve the AMBER Alert program and offer insights for law enforcement and victim services to more effectively work with families of an abducted child in the future.

If the family agrees, an interviewer asks specific questions about what was helpful and what could have been done differently during the incident. The family is also told the interviewer is not with law enforcement and that the information they provide will not be used for the investigation or prosecution of the suspect.

The interviewer then compiles a summary for the family to review. Once the family approves the information, it is shared with the AMBER Alert Committee, who considers how best to incorporate the input toward improvement in the AMBER Alert program and related training.

“The families need to have a voice,” said Majoy. “Families experience a number of challenges and questions during this time. It is important to instill hope and provide them a means of understanding what they are experiencing.”

Phase two of the Family Response Plan is titled “Deploying Hope.” One year after the alert, the interviewer contacts the survivor and family to assist in compiling a report to identify general themes of experiences following the incident, noting positive outcomes as well as places where gaps in support and recovery have been found.

The aim of the NOAAC plan shares important parallels with the work of the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program’s (AATTAP) Family Roundtable initiative. Implemented in 2011, AATTAP’s six Family Roundtable events held to date have brought together more than 180 survivors and family members to share experiences, offer critically important insights and develop formalized recommendations for law enforcement’s interactions with the family during endangered missing and abducted child incidents.

Emphasizing the importance of incorporating families’ recommendations into training for law enforcement and victim advocacy professionals, AATTAP Administrator Jim Walters believes their insights have had a direct impact on resolving other child abduction cases. “There is probably no more important function we carry out than taking the time to listen to families about their individual cases. We learn so much from their tragedies and at the same time we allow them the opportunity to gather with other families who have been down the same terrible path they have travelled. By pre-planning we can cut down the time, stress and uncertainty that comes with not knowing what to do. Time is of the essence and having a plan in place saves time, it is as simple as that.”

NCMEC believes it is sound practice for each AMBER Alert program to have a formalized family response plan. NCMEC Vice President of the Missing Children Division, Bob Lowery, believes these plans should be used in a multidisciplinary manner during an alert to minimize the trauma of the situation.

“Families that have experienced an AMBER Alert are uniquely suited to provide insight, concerns, and recommendations for AMBER Alert partners,” said Lowery. “The recovery of the missing child is the beginning of what can be a lengthy reunification process as the child and family begin to come to terms with the crime and what this means moving forward.”

Walters also encourages other AMBER Alert programs to create their own family response plans. “Plans are so important because they put things into place so they can be acted upon, so everyone knows what they can do to ensure the safety of the child.”

Chief Majoy said the Family Response Plan will continue to be a work in progress. He said it is important to share the NOAAC plan with other AMBER Alert partners; and in return he hopes to learn from them as well. “We all have a common goal in the safe return of the victim.”

Six-year-old Brooklyn Vance was staying with her aunt in Ashtabula, Ohio, while her mother was out of town. Connie Nelson, the girl’s grandmother from Las Vegas, was also staying at the home and decided to take the child.

At 9:30 a.m. on June 12, 2018, the aunt woke up and discovered the girl and her grandmother were gone, as well as all of the child’s clothes. The aunt called the Ashtabula Police Department at 11:14 a.m. to report the girl missing.

Police learned Nelson had mental health issues and an “unhealthy infatuation” with her grandchild. Family members feared she was planning to take the child to Las Vegas and the only way she had to get there was by hitchhiking.

Officers asked the Cuyahoga Emergency Communications System (CECOMS) to issue an AMBER Alert at 2:08 p.m. after determining the case met all four criteria for the alert:

The child is under 18 years of age.
There is credible information the child was forcibly or intentionally removed or lured away from her location and remains missing.
The law enforcement agency believes the child is in danger of serious bodily injury or death.
The law enforcement agency has sufficient identifying information on the child, and/or alleged abductor(s), and/or alleged abductor’s vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will be beneficial in identification efforts.

CECOMS handles emergency communications in nine counties in Northeast Ohio. It is the only independent agency in the state authorized to issue AMBER Alerts. The agency has a goal to issue an AMBER Alert within 20 minutes; this alert was issued just two minutes later at 2:10 p.m.

Christopher Minek, CECOMS operations supervisor and Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert coordinator

Christopher Minek serves as the CECOMS operations supervisor and the AMBER Alert coordinator for Northeast Ohio. “We knew we needed to complete the AMBER Alert broadcast to our region as soon as possible,” said Minek. “We hoped the AMBER Alert would prevent the grandmother from taking her out of the region and possibly the state.”

The alert, along with photographs and additional information, was distributed to the National Weather Service, Ohio State Highway Patrol, local media outlets and LAMAR Advertising billboards. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was also notified to disseminate the alert via the Wireless Emergency Alert system. Nearby airport, bus stations, train stations and cab companies were also contacted about the situation.

CECOMS also activated the new AMBER Alert Family Response Plan. The Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert Committee recently created the plan to gather information from family members of the victim and help them after an alert has been activated.

“The goals of the Family Response Plan are to provide crisis stabilization, trauma informed communication and a sense of hope that reunification is possible,” said Minek.

9-1-1 telecommunicators received three accurate tips from the public within 15 minutes after issuance of the AMBER Alert. Nelson was found at 3 p.m. walking with the child, ten miles from where she was taken. The girl was unharmed and the grandmother was taken into custody for interference with custody, kidnapping and inducing panic.

“The citizens who called in the tips are the real heroes,” said Minek. “They took the time to remember the detailed suspect and child description and then assisted without hesitation in a stressful and active situation to bring the child home. There are no words that can describe the joy of watching a child be reunited with their family after such a traumatic incident.”

“We want to thank the public for assisting us; that’s how we were able to recover the girl so quickly,” added Ashtabula Police Chief Robert Stell. “We could not be more pleased with the outcome.”

The Northeast Ohio AMBER Alert Committee reviewed the case following the incident, determining it indeed met all of the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

Minek said the key factors in the successful recovery were having an effective AMBER Alert plan, contacting all local transportation hubs, and training with law enforcement agencies. “The City of Ashtabula Police Department and CECOMS established early and effective communication during the AMBER Alert activation,” he said. “Through our communications we were able to relay information with extreme efficiency.”

Still, the Northeast AMBER Alert partners will continue to refine their AMBER Alert plan. “We learn something new every time we have an AMBER Alert activation,” concluded Minek. “Our plan is always evolving to keep up to date with the latest technology and procedures.”

Sara Hennessey has been the New Hampshire AMBER Alert Coordinator since September 2012, and began her service with the New Hampshire State Police as a trooper in 1998. Hennessey is a sergeant in the agency’s Major Crime Unit and commands the Family Services Division. Her husband John is also a commander with the New Hampshire State Police.

WHAT PATH LED YOU TO THIS WORK?

As a New Hampshire state trooper our primary function when we first get assigned is highway patrol but that was never where my heart belonged. I did it because I had to do it, but I always wanted to be a detective and move in that direction. I spent some time as an advocate in domestic violence prior to becoming a trooper; that’s always where I wanted to go. In 2007, I became a detective at a troop and naturally started taking cases that were related to domestic violence, sexual assault and child protection. I was also able to work some interesting cases with the homicide unit. Unfortunately, in some of the cases we had, the children were recovered deceased. I always wanted to work hard to minimize this horrible outcome, and improve investigation of these cases so that we would not find ourselves at that point. I have done some work and training with the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). I continue to work hard to educate DCYF, law enforcement personnel, and anyone who will listen, in an effort to lessen the number of homicides and child abductions we see, along with lessening the maltreatment of children.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART, AND THE HARDEST PART, OF YOUR JOB?

The best part of my job is having the opportunity to help people and kids in crisis. The hardest part is knowing that sometimes the outcome isn’t always the best. I have been through some tough cases and it has taught me how bad it can get.

HOW DOES AMBER ALERT WORK IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?

We’re a really small state, so a lot of people have seen my face and know me through different entities and events I’ve been involved with. When incidents arise, sometimes the boss may look over and call my name out in the office; I’ll poke my head up from the cubicle and will make my way over to the front of the office and he will fill me in. Other times, a local agency will call looking for our K-9 services or to find out what other resources the New Hampshire State Police can provide. The head of the K-9 unit will give me a call and say, ‘We have this case going on, has anyone contacted you yet?’ There’s a lieutenant at the Manchester [New Hampshire] Police Department who runs their Juvenile Unit with whom I have an excellent relationship. She will call my cell phone and say, ‘This is what we have, this is what we need; are we good to go?’ Incidents seem to come in waves; but because we’re so small it is easy to get ahold of me. Other departments may call state police headquarters and they will contact me; I then make contact, have a conversation with them about what is going with their case, and offer advisement and support.

HAS NEW HAMPSHIRE ADDED ANY NEW INITIATIVES TO ITS PROGRAMS AND WORK TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

We now have the state lottery system as a partner. They are a welcome member to our team and they are already helping us reach more people with the AMBER Alert.

WHAT APPROACHES DO YOU TAKE TO PROVIDE TRAINING, EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ON AMBER ALERT?

I will talk to anyone who will listen. People see my face associated with a lot of platforms, so at those events, or as part of information being provided, I will include up-dates on mandatory reporting, the AMBER Alert program, and elder abuse laws, when I am training. I also utilize my work with the state police academy. In New Hampshire, all of the police recruits go through a single academy; this provides a great way to de-liver important program and training information in a consistent manner. The trooper who teaches child abuse at the academy covers the AMBER Alert program and procedures, and we both talk about it to reinforce the information. Anytime I have a chance to talk about the AMBER Alert, I will. We’ve had some tremendously high-profile missing cases in New Hampshire; some have ended successfully, and some have not. That has allowed an extraordinary relationship with some of the departments in our state, and with our federal partners. Again, it’s a small state and we all talk to each other; we all communicate, and people know where to call. In September 2018 at the annual New Hampshire Attorney General’s “Partnering for a Future without Violence,” I teamed up with the lieutenant from the Manchester Police Department to conduct a workshop on AMBER Alert, combined with a case review of the last alert we had in April 2017.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FIND MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

When we have missing children needing to be found, and we work within and across our law enforcement agencies - and with the public - to help bring them home. Every instance of this motivates me to continue to the work and do all that we can to safely recover missing children.

WHAT WAS A CASE YOU WORKED ON THAT HAD A LASTING IMPACT?

There was a case that I worked in a very rural area in the Northern part of the state and it involved a missing young girl. For the first part of the case there were a lot of resources brought in. It was a case where we had federal partners working and it got to the point that they needed a place to put us because the town was so small. They opened up a school and people were coming in to serve us lunch. They cordoned off areas of the school we could use for interviews. The school was essentially our command post; with part of the school open, and part of it closed. It was during the summertime and there was a little boy walking down the hallway; I remember his shoes were untied. He was there with his mom who was helping with the volunteer effort. He knew I was a trooper and stopped me in the hall and said, “Have you found my friend yet? I really miss her.” I told him that we had not found his friend yet. We ended up finding the girl; she was not alive. This case, and that encounter with this little girl’s friend; it obviously had a lasting impact. I will never forget that little boy in the hallway. We have to keep searching, we have to keep looking. For every missing child, there is a little boy or girl in the hallway waiting for their friend to return.

WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THIS POSITION?

Find your friends in your local states. In New England, we have fabulous coordinators in other states. Our states are small, so it doesn’t take much time for a suspect and child to be in and out of different states. When I was new, they pulled me in and said, ‘If you need anything call me. I will help you.’ So, with Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island we have a strong crew - and it’s an experienced crew. They have worked a lot of years over a lot of cases and had different things happen; they can share those experiences with you and help you through some of the issues, re-source problems - whatever it is that comes up in these cases. We are in constant contact with each other. I have also learned that when a child is missing, it is all hands-on deck, no questions asked. Everyone jumps in to help. We are tight-knit here; our program would not work if we were not.

The Telecommunicator’s Role

Law enforcement’s response to a 9-1-1 call reporting a missing or abducted child begins with the telecommunicator who answers that emergency line. Whether referred to as dispatchers, telecommunicators or communications officers, the individuals who perform this bedrock first response to what may very likely be a critical incident truly hold the key to how well patrol officers and investigators are able to execute their work in the field.

Shift work, significant overtime hours, ridiculous levels of multi-tasking and incredible stress – these are just a few of the hallmarks of the life and work of a law enforcement telecommunicator. 9-1-1 call centers and law enforcement communications centers across the U.S. often experience high turnover and chronic staffing shortages due to the demanding nature of the work. Law enforcement telecommunicators do so much more than ‘just answer the phone’ – they are handling multiple phone lines, dispatching and monitoring the status and safety of multiple officers in the field, and simultaneously entering large amounts of incident and operations information into local and state data systems.

A critical component of this information management involves entering and querying data on criminal history record information through state systems which feed into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The speed and accuracy with which NCIC and other record information is entered, updated and queried can literally make the difference - in the case of crimes against persons - between life and death. It can mean the difference between identification of child victims, their abductors or perpetrators of trafficking and exploitation; or missed identifications - meaning children are not rescued and perpetrators of crimes against them remain at large.

In the midst of these realities, how can telecommunicators train and prepare for incidents of missing and abducted children? Telecommunications departments typically do not have robust training budgets, and often cannot afford to have personnel away from their shifts to attend classroom-style training outside the communication center. How can we ensure quality training is available to all telecommunicators, even in centers with tight training budgets and understaffed schedules?

“911 and other law enforcement telecommunicators and the patrol officers they team with to provide the very first response – they are the front-line heroes that families and children are depending on. The TELMAC class gives them the foundation to do exactly what needs to be done – to prepare so that missed steps do not occur that could cost a child’s life. These telecommunicators, from that very first moment of that very first call, through all the leads and tips they may intake and help to check – they are the very heart and soul of the missing child search.”

Colleen Nick, Mother of Morgan Nick, abducted June 9, 1995, at the age of six, from a little league ball park in Alma, Arkansas

In 2006, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and AATTAP partnered to form a steering committee to include the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). The committee developed and jointly endorsed a set of national best practice standards for call-handing and information management in these case types.

In 2007, the APCO-ANS1.101 National Standard for Public Safety Telelcommunicators When Responding to Incidents of Missing, Abducted and Sexually Exploited Children was first published; and was updated in 2010 and 2015.

AATTAP launched the TELMAC online course in 2010, featuring the APCO ANS1.101 as a cornerstone of the training curriculum. The curriculum was borne out of key elements of classroom training NCMEC and AATTAP began offering to public safety telecommunications directors and their front-line supervisors and trainers in conjunction with the National Best Practice Standards project between 2006 and 2010.

Another innovation resulting from the steering committee’s work to develop the national best practice standard is NCMEC’s Missing Kids Readiness Project (MKRP), which works with law enforcement departments and their communications centers to support their development of comprehensive policy for missing child response, and to ensure all command, investigative and patrol officers are fully trained. As part of that effort, the TELMAC online course, developed and administered by AATTAP, meets the front-line training requirement for public safety telecommunicators in those departments.

AATTAP can deliver the TELMAC course as a full-day classroom training upon request for agencies or jurisdictions wishing to offer group training experiences. AATTAP also offers classroom and additional online courses for patrol, investigations and command personnel to support effective enforcement and investigative response to missing and abducted child incidents.

A Decade of Training: TELMAC’s Impact

The TELMAC online course has been completed by more than 20,000 public safety telecommunications personnel across the country, with scores of new registrants every month. Course updates have been made regularly to align with the 2010 and 2015 republications of the APCO ANS1.101, and to ensure other updates to research and available resources were incorporated into the training.

Year over year since its launch in 2010, telecommunicators and other law enforcement first responders who complete the TELMAC course – whether online or in the classroom – report a 98.5 percent overall course satisfaction rating, as measured through questions on how well the course met or exceeded their expectations; expanded their knowledge regarding the scope, scale and nature of the problem of missing and abducted children; provided relevant and useful information and operational resources they can apply in their first responder work; and increased their confidence in being ready to respond when these incidents occur.

In 2019, the TELMAC course and its companion course for patrol first responders, PATMAC, will launch fully updated versions featuring expanded video and interactive content. The classroom version of the TELMAC course has been enhanced also, and now features increased interactive exercises through the use of live polling technology, call audio analysis and a comprehensive tabletop exercise.

Accessing the TELMAC Course, and Other Online Training from AATTAP and the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC)

The NCJTC offers a one-time online learning community registration, which then allows approved users to access multiple online courses for instant self-enrollment through Fox Valley Technical College’s Blackboard Online learning platform. The TELMAC course is part of the NCJTC’s Criminal Justice Professionals online community, and requires registrants to be employed by a criminal justice agency. For others working in community safety and child protection roles but not employed by an authorized criminal justice agency, the NCJTC offers a Community Training option which includes other online courses and recorded webinars.

All of AMBER Alert’s online courses are self-directed, meaning participants can work on them anytime 24/7, at a pace or increments of time that best fit their schedules. Once all required course content is completed, certificates of completion are available for immediate download as a PDF file for use in training record documentation.

For more information on registering for access to TELMAC and other online courses offered by AATTAP and NCJTC, email us at [email protected] or call 877/712-6237.

Emergency 9-1-1 telecommunicators in Saguache County, Colorado, received a call from a father who was concerned because his twelve-year-old son had been missing for three hours. It was Saturday, June 23, 2018, and the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office gathered information and sent a message about the boy to other local law enforcement officers in case he might be in the area.

The sheriff’s office asked for an AMBER Alert to be issued on Saturday night, but CBI had some concerns about the criteria.

“We declined the AMBER request based on the facts we had at the time,” said Jillian Ganley, Colorado AMBER Alert Coordinator. “We suggested an Endangered Missing Person Alert. We also offered investigative assistance and let the agency know we would be willing to issue the AMBER Alert if any new information was uncovered during the investigation.”

The sheriff’s office began to conduct additional interviews and collaborated with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the FBI to gather additional information. They discovered the missing boy was likely with a 60-year-old man who was known to have a dubious reputation.

“The suspect belonged to a group of individuals known to approach children in parks,” said Captain Ken Wilson, Saguache County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re a small community with more than 3,000 square miles and 10,000 people, so we all need each other and look out for each other.”

On Sunday, June 24, deputies determined the boy was in danger and they had enough information to meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert. CBI issued the alert at 8:26 p.m. through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which sends the information to Colorado law enforcement, media outlets, highway signs and state lottery terminals.

CBI then sent the information through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), a system which sends text alerts to all cell phones in the area. However, after issuing the WEA, they discovered some cell phone users received multiple notifications of the AMBER Alert, while delivery to other cell phone users was delayed. CBI contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for assistance with sending the alert through WEA to ensure complete distribution.

“In the end we learned several cell service providers were not able to accept the formatting of a dash included in the message,” said Ganley. “We now know to avoid special characters if at all possible, and to type the message directly into the software instead of copying it and pasting it in.”

The sheriff’s public information officer also posted the information on Facebook. “People started sharing it like crazy,” said Wilson.

Even though they were looking for a boy believed to be in danger, everyone involved in the search did their best not to get too emotional during the investigation. “We try as best as we can to be detached and analytical,” he said. “We need to make sure we have everything we need to find the child. It helped us all to know something is being done and people are looking.”

“After every AMBER alert we issue there is an uneasy feeling until the children are found,” added Ganley. “However, we must remain focused to ensure everything possible is being done to bring these children home safely.”

At 9:50 p.m. that same day, a tip came in on Facebook that the boy was seen that morning in Hanksville, Utah. At 11:30 p.m., the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in Utah received a call from campers who said they were approached by two people without clothes asking for food and water. Deputies immediately responded to the call but did not find anyone.

On Monday, June 25, dispatchers received a call at 9:40 a.m. stating “a young boy and an older man were both naked at the Bear Paw Resort,” according to the law enforcement report. “This description matched the AMBER Alert that dispatch had received the night before.”

Upon immediate response, deputies found the suspect and victim and confirmed they were the subjects in the AMBER Alert. The man was taken into custody and the boy was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

“I always feel very relieved and thankful after every successful AMBER Alert,” said Ganley. “I am so glad we were able to reunite this young boy with his family. This is the ending we hope for after every alert we issue.”

“I’m happy for the family,” added Wilson. “I’m happy for the child.”

According to the law enforcement report, the victim said they had spent the night without clothing and slept under a tree. The suspect was charged with child kidnapping, lewdness involving a child and reckless endangerment. He may also face federal charges.

The Colorado AMBER Alert coordinator said it was helpful to have so many law enforcement officers, including CBI agents, sharing information from the scene. “Every AMBER Alert requires a unique mix of training, experience, instinct, quick thinking and a lot of teamwork; and this alert was no different,” said Ganley.

Looking back, Wilson said training helped in the search, but he credits his public information officer for getting the information out to so many people. He said the most important lesson he learned from this case is the need for getting enough information quickly to meet the AMBER Alert criteria.

“Make sure your focus is correct,” he said. “Make sure you meet the criteria before you jump the gun and do everything else. You can’t just say you need an AMBER Alert, you have to meet the criteria. Otherwise every missing child report would be an AMBER Alert and they wouldn’t be as valuable as they are.”

Ganley agrees that determining the facts for an AMBER Alert is critical. “My best advice would be to have as much communication as possible with those on scene,” she said. “All AMBER Alert incidents are very fluid situations, and this one was no different. By having an open line of communication, we were able to send the alert very quickly after new information was learned.”

Colorado has issued 91 AMBER Alerts since the program began in April 2002. The state’s first AMBER Alert was issued in August 2002.

Sarah Krebs: Michigan AMBER Alert Coordinator

She never gives up in making sure missing and abducted children are found

Sarah Krebs has been the Michigan AMBER Alert Coordinator since 2014. At that time, she also served as the Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager and the Unidentified Remains Manager, which have since been reorganized into three different positions. Krebs began as a Michigan State Police Trooper in 2000 and took on additional duties as a forensic artist in 2002. She later became an investigator before transferring to the Missing Persons Unit. Krebs still offers investigative training and assists with cold cases.

What is the best part of your job?

The AMBER Alert is special. It’s for those cases that really need it. I hold this position very dear to my heart because I know how harmful an abduction can be and the AMBER Alert is the nation’s most powerful tool to bring an abducted child home. I take this job very seriously because I am the one person responsible for the AMBER Alert in my state.

What is the hardest part of your job?

It is very difficult when you tell law enforcement and a family that their child will not get an AMBER Alert. There is a lot of pressure because they know this is such a powerful tool, but the situation doesn’t always fit our current criteria. The AMBER Alert notifies so many people and we have to protect it so we are not overusing it.

We do use our Endangered Missing Advisory for cases that don’t meet the AMBER Alert criteria. The advisories have been very helpful.

Michigan recently changed its criteria for the AMBER Alert - what impact has that made on the program?

When Michigan created our policy in 2001 we were the fourth state to have an AMBER Alert. Our criteria were extremely broad and included all endangered children. So many cases fit that we would put out 40 or more AMBER Alerts each year. However, no one complained about the high numbers because a lot of the alerts were regional. The public didn’t notice the high number of alerts, but they thought any child who was missing and endangered was eligible for an AMBER Alert.

The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) changed the AMBER Alert and made it a more powerful tool because you are waking up people with alerts on their cell phones. We wanted to change the criteria to meet the national standards. For instance, the alert would go out for child who is missing with a sex offender, even if the parent was the sex offender.

We couldn’t send out WEAs 40 times a year. So in 2017, we changed the criteria to be for child abductions only. We went from 15

AMBER Alerts in 2016 down to three in 2017. It was really eye-opening. Only legitimate abductions have AMBER Alerts issued for them now. There is still some public confusion because we previously issued alerts for endangered children. We just had a missing autistic child and people on social media were asking ‘Where’s the AMBER Alert?’ The community is starting to answer those questions and letting others know that the criteria doesn’t fit.

We never had a secondary alert and that’s why the AMBER Alert initially included everything - because it was our only option. We added the Endangered Missing Advisory; and that alerting tool still depends on public involvement and help. The advisory can be used for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, children with autism or children who are endangered for another reason not related to an abduction. The new program is really working flawlessly. We still have some pushback, but we can now offer another alerting option even when we do not issue an AMBER Alert. However, it doesn’t reach everyone’s cell phones.

Social media can also be used to help get the word out, and that approach is really working well. Social media is a great partner for the AMBER Alert and Endangered Missing Advisory. We recover more children from tips and leads generated by Facebook than anything. Social media is the ‘milk carton’ of the 21st century and utilizes the internet to reach large numbers of people rapidly. I do wish I had someone who could work full-time with a focus solely on maximizing and managing the use of social media with endangered missing and abducted person cases.

What other initiatives have you taken to help find missing and abducted children?

We created a movement with an event called Missing in Michigan Day that started in 2011. Based upon its growth, we started a non-profit to support it and handle all of the donations. It’s started a revolution across the country. We now have similar events across the country, such as ‘Missing in Arizona’ or ‘Missing in California.’ The public comes together to remember the people who are missing. We also continue to work year-round collecting DNA and making reports. It’s a proactive law enforcement event where people can meet each other to talk about their missing loved ones. We have gathered more than 100 missing unidentified cases since the event began in 2011.

We also just passed a law that makes Michigan the first state in the country to require all law enforcement to immediately enter missing person information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS).

What motivates you to find missing and abducted children?

I think my work as a forensic artist and working with unidentified remains was the start. These cases are terrible. I’ve seen the agony families have gone through when a loved one is missing. I am a parent of a six-year-old girl, a one-year-old girl and a baby boy on the way. No one is more vulnerable than a missing child.

What advice would you give to others who work with the AMBER Alert program?

I think coordination between the states is essential. At the National

AMBER Alert Symposium, we had representatives from all 50 states. It was so important to be able to connect faces with names; and to meet and network with other AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Person Clearinghouse Mangers and CART program members from each state, especially when you have cross-state abductions. It’s important to know people and to trust them.

For instance, we had an AMBER Alert and an officer in Colorado ran a plate and saw the alert in Michigan. The AMBER Alert program is powerful and I’m proud to be a part of it.

What was your most memorable AMBER Alert?

Probably the multi-state alerts stand out the most for me because of the coordination between all of the states. The first AMBER Alert I did was for children who were abducted in Indiana and found in Detroit. An FBI agent told me the Indiana children were in Detroit. I called the Indiana AMBER Alert coordinator and we were able to issue an AMBER Alert swiftly and effectively; this was helped by us knowing one another and having that personal relationship. The alert ended with a car chase and both children were recovered safely. So, my first AMBER Alert involved multiple states, two children and a gunman taking the children during the middle of the night and asking for a ransom. It literally sounds like something that could have been made into a movie. But we work hard for the best possible outcome – safe recovery of the children.

With the passage of this important legislation, the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program is hard at work moving the law into action.

A law born out of the tragic abduction and murder of eleven-year-old Ashlynne Mike of the Navajo Nation endeavors to bring increased law enforcement coordination, new and expanded resources, and renewed hope for solid protection of children living on tribal lands. The AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act was passed in April 2018, nearly two years after Ashlynne was kidnapped and killed May 2, 2016, near Shiprock on the Navajo Nation Reservation.

Tribal law enforcement officers did not have an AMBER Alert plan to notify the people living in the 27,000 square mile reservation that stretches from Arizona to Utah. As Ashlynne’s case progressed, it brought to light gaps in public safety preparedness and coordination in the area of response to missing and abducted children; heightening the awareness of legislators and others that this serious problem facing the Navajo Nation was also shared by tribes across the country.

The Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act offers help for tribes in the following ways:

Allows for integration of tribal AMBER Alert systems into state AMBER alert systems.
Makes Indian tribes eligible for AMBER Alert grants.
Permits the use of grant funds to integrate state or regional AMBER Alert communication plans with an Indian tribe.
Allows the waiver of the matching funds requirement for grants awarded to Indian tribes.

Jim Walters is the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Administrator and testified before Congress about the need for more resources for missing and abducted Native American children. He will now oversee efforts to put the legislation into action.

“The first order of business for the Act is an assessment of the status of tribes and the obstacles they face in implementing AMBER Alert for their communities,” said Walters. “This assessment applies to all tribes, large or small.”

Walters understands firsthand the unique obstacles within tribal lands. In 2006 he became the first AATTAP Liaison for the program’s ‘AMBER Alert in Indian Country’ initiative. He provided training and technical assistance to more than 200 tribes, with the goal of helping them respond swiftly and effectively to child protection issues including abductions, exploitation and human trafficking.

“Tribes face a number of challenges; ones most of us don’t consider on a day to day basis,” said Walters. “This includes a history of cultural intervention and generational trauma, jurisdictional complexities, issues with reporting, and lack of understanding of Indian Child Welfare Law outside tribal lands.”

He noted that long-term implications of victimization within the community are magnified by a close-knit societal structure, lack of resources and specialization, and limits to infrastructure and technology.

After Ashlynne’s death, her mother, Pamela Foster, began advocating to make sure children in Indian Country had the same protection as any other child.

“Pamela Foster was a powerful force,” said Walters. “She mobilized citizens, law makers and tribes across the country to support the effort to bring AMBER Alert to tribal communities. She was eloquent and heartfelt when talking to legislators, and they showed great support for her efforts.”

Foster got support from the late Senator John McCain and other legislators to bring the AMBER Alert system to all of America’s 567 federally recognized tribes.

“This bipartisan legislation addresses serious gaps in current law that have prevented tribes from quickly issuing AMBER Alerts and helping victims like Ashlynne escape tragedy,” said McCain.

The AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act expands the original PROTECT Act that started the National AMBER Alert program in 2003. That bill was passed after the so-called “summer of child kidnappings” that included the abduction of Elizabeth Smart and many other children across the U.S.

“The new bill places tribes in the same standing as states and regional plans,” said Walters. “It means tribes have the same ability to establish Memorandums of Understanding, or ‘MOU’s’, with their state AMBER Alert plan or to develop their own plan within tribal boundaries.”

Walters has a plan to put the new law into action.

Work closely with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to meet OJJDP’s goal of expanding, supporting, and further improving the capacity and development or enhancement of AMBER Alert programs in Indian Country.
Make sure AATTAP works in alignment with the direction of Congress as expressed in the new law.
Serve tribal communities and work with states and regional AMBER Alert plans to develop agreements that provide access for tribal communities.
Partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to provide resources and expertise to promote adoption of AMBER Alert programs across Indian Country.

All of this work has been inspired by of the love shown by Ashlynne’s family.

“Her family was willing to turn their personal tragedy into a cause to protect Native American and Alaskan Native children across the country,” said Walters. “As Pamela said on more than one occasion, ‘We want to do this so other families will be spared our pain.’”

Police take down suspect in Washington AMBER Alert activation

Washington AMBER Alert Coordinator Carri Gordon was in the middle of a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training when she received an email requesting an AMBER Alert for a case involving a five-year-old boy and custodial interference. The email was sent by the Lake Forest Police Department at 12:03 p.m. on March 28, 2018.

Gordon stepped out of the training to get more information. She talked to Lake Forest Police Chief Stephen Sutton and other officers to determine if the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

The police said Taraille Chesney took his non-custodial son. At 11 a.m., dispatchers received a 911 call and could hear arguing before the call ended abruptly. When police officers arrived, the suspect drove away recklessly at a high rate of speed. Officers chased Chesney, but he got away.

“We were working with the state patrol to identify the criteria,” said Chief Sutton. “We were hung up on one criteria, ‘Was the child in danger?’”

Washington AMBER Alert Coordinator Carri Gordon

Gordon works for the Washington State Patrol and knew the police chief, as they had worked together before. “I received clarification that the child had been taken by force from his custodial grandmother,” said Gordon. “The father was also known to law enforcement as being violent in the past and had outrun police earlier this same day.”

After determining the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert, Gordon entered the alert at 1:24 p.m. through the state’s LEAP system, which sends emails and faxes to law enforcement, media, transportation and other stakeholders.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also sent the alert to public cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. The Washington State Emergency Management Division activated the Emergency Alert System and the Department of Transportation activated highway signs.

“I knew once the vehicle information went out that the calls would begin immediately, and they did,” said Gordon. “Within minutes of the WEA activation the public began calling 911 with sightings of the vehicle within the city limits of Seattle,” said Gordon.

After a short chase, police say the suspect was involved in multiple car collisions and rammed a Seattle police car, ultimately being surrounded by law enforcement vehicles. As police had their guns drawn, Chesney got out of the car and was taken into custody.

Officers took the boy out of the car moments later. News helicopters captured the arrest and the victim was later seen sitting with an officer on the trunk of a police car clutching a stuffed animal. The child was recovered 45 minutes after the AMBER Alert went out.

“The AMBER Alert system worked flawlessly,” said Chief Sutton. “Our partners in law enforcement did a fantastic job getting the suspect into custody.”

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, custodial interference, assault, violating a protection order, eluding police and driving under the influence.

“The alert was so effective in that it safely and quickly recovered the child,” said Gordon. “I think this is a great example of how the system is intended to work and we would not have had such a quick and successful conclusion without the help of the public.”

Gordon says this case will also serve as a lesson in the future on the importance of finding out quickly whether a child is in danger.

“I just believe this alert is a great example of how all of the various aspects of the AMBER Alert system work together to get the word out to the public,” said Gordon. “We rely on them to help recover abducted children, which is our goal with AMBER Alerts. We can always do better and should continue to learn from each success.”

This was Washington’s 86th alert since the program began in 2004.

John F. Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

Awards presented in the US Department of Justice Great Hall

Missing Children’s Day is recognized annually in Washington D.C., as well as states across the nation and countries around the globe. The U.S. Department of Justice held its 2018 awards ceremony on May 23, 2018, in the Great Hall, with event coordination by the Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio recognized the child protection and missing children awareness efforts of both law enforcement and civilians.

“The exceptional individuals we recognize remind us of our responsibility to be vigilant about the safety of our children and to hold accountable those who seek to harm them,” said Panuccio.” Because of their diligence, courageousness, selflessness and commitment to protect the most vulnerable among us, children all over the country are safer in their communities.”

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Missing Children’s Day in 1985 to honor the memories of children still missing. Panuccio spoke about the importance of the AMBER Alert program in helping to find those children. “The AMBER Alert is a centerpiece of our child protection efforts and one of the most valuable public safety tools we have at our disposal.”

Missing Children’s Law Enforcement Award

This award was given to Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department Detective John Witherspoon who worked tirelessly to investigate a case involving a 15-year-old female runaway that began in December 2016.

“He scoured Montgomery County and traveled to northern Virginia every day for eight weeks to search locations where the girl had been seen,” said Panuccio. “Sadly, in mid-February of last year, her remains were found and her death was ruled a homicide.”

Witherspoon continued to work with police officers at another agency to identify and arrest ten gang members for their roles in the murder. He relocated the victim’s mother after she received death threats from gang members. Witherspoon also investigated 166 missing children cases in 2017 in which he located every child.

Missing Children’s Citizen Award

This award was given to Colin Blevin, a Santa Clara, California, resident who responded to an AMBER Alert, helping police recover an abducted infant and capture the kidnapper.

On July 17, 2017, Blevin noticed a stolen car blocking the entrance to the construction site where he worked, also observing a baby inside the car. “I took the baby and I put him on my trailer, and I said, ‘I’m calling 911’,” Blevin told reporters. “The guy didn’t really seem to care. I think he realized he messed up. He was in for a stolen car and he stole a baby.”

The suspect then tried to steal another car to get away. “Blevin prevented the suspect from escaping with a one-year-old child in a stolen car and protected the baby until police arrived,” said Panuccio.

The offender was sentenced to more than five years in prison for felony child abuse and vehicle theft.

Attorney General’s Special Commendation

This award was given to the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for investigating a sexual predator who had been victimizing children since the 1970s. The ICAC Task Force received a tip from a man who said he had been abused by the suspect in the 1990s.

“They searched the suspect’s home, and during an interview, they learned he was still having sexual relationships with boys he met on Craigslist,” said Panuccio. “He admitted to engaging in sexual acts and producing child pornography throughout his adult life.”

Prosecutors are still screening charges after Maryland investigators identified 26 additional victims.

Missing Children’s Child Protection Award

This award was given to Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office Detective George Higgs for investigating a case of a 16-year-old student athlete who was receiving sexually suggestive text messages from a school coach.

“A police lab analysis of the devices turned up videos of the suspect physically and sexually assaulting several children,” said Panuccio. “Based on screen captures, Detective Higgs determined the videos were produced in school buildings and in the suspect’s home.”

Detective Higgs was able to identify 42 victims between the ages of 13 and 17. The suspect, who was also confirmed to be HIV positive, was sentenced to 105 years in federal prison after being found guilty of 219 charges involving sexually abusing children and child pornography.

Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest Winner

More than 2,000 students from 37 states participated in the 2018 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest sponsored by OJJDP. The top honor was awarded to Eden Hoffman, a fifth-grader from Huron Elementary School in Clinton Township, Michigan.

“This poster symbolizes a family that has found their missing child,” said Panuccio. “The heart behind them shows the bonds between the family. The colors on the words express hope, joy, and love.”

Hoffman was honored with a plaque, a certificate of recognition and a trip to Washington, D.C., with her teacher Ameilia Vecchio.

Russell Barnes addresses 2018 National Missing Children’s Day participants

Father of murdered Maryland teen addresses 2018 National Missing Children’s Day participants

Despite his pain and heartache after his daughter was murdered, Russell Barnes is now giving back to other families through his work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and its Team HOPE. His address at the 2018 National Missing Children’s Day ceremony both encouraged and challenged law enforcement to be vigilant and never give up working to respond effectively to incidents of missing and abducted children.

Barne’s 16-year-old daughter Phylicia vanished while visiting her half-sister in Baltimore over the Christmas holidays in 2010. Her body was found in the Susquehanna River four months later. An ex-boyfriend of the victim’s half-sister was arrested in her murder but he was acquitted after three different trials.

“I stand before you today to convey this message–our vulnerable children are being targeted and snatched in front of our eyes,” said Barnes. “When that happens, we as parents, as their protectors, need the criminal justice system to do more to help us find them and bring their abductors to justice.”

“My message to law enforcement--train your first responders to treat a missing child as if it was their child or a family member. Every second, every minute, every hour, every day, counts.”

Barnes has dedicated his life to helping other families of missing and abducted children. He and his family founded the Phylicia Simone Barnes Foundation, which led the legislative effort to raise the age in Maryland from 14 to 17 for children who should be considered critically missing.

“Phylicia was my baby, and I knew she was going to be great,” said Barnes. “I would look at her as a father and be amazed at her character. Her happiness, her silliness and just her book smarts. Purple was her favorite color. Her path in life, I felt, was going to be awesome. She was graduating with honors and had already been accepted to a major university at 16.”

In closing, Barnes recognized the importance of the ongoing effort to protect children and support families. “This senseless murder has been devastating to everyone in our family. Our world has changed forever. I know how other parents feel when searching for their missing children, and no one is listening. In 20 years, we will be remembered for change, or we will not be remembered at all. Justice for Phylicia.”

More information about NCMEC’s Team HOPE can be found at

www.missingkids.com/TEAMHOPE.

Additional details about the Phylicia Barnes Foundation can be found at

www.facebook.com/thepsbfoundation/.

Alan R. Hanson, Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

The 2018 National AMBER Alert Symposium, held in Orlando, Florida, May 15-17, 2018, was attended by more than 100 partners including AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers, Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Coordinators and other child protection officials. More than 40 states, federally recognized tribes, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico were represented at this year’s event. Program partners from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) participated in this year’s event as well.

This year’s symposium focused on the impact technology has on child exploitation and abduction, as well as how law enforcement and public safety professionals can use the latest advances to prevent and respond to incidents.

U.S. Department of Justice welcoming remarks

“It’s hard to think of a cause more worthy than the safety of our children, and it’s hard to think of a group of people who’ve done more on behalf of that cause than all of you,” remarked Alan R. Hanson, Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as he recognized and welcomed the participants of the 2018 National AMBER Alert Symposium. The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) was very honored to have him open the event. Hanson thanked Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), its National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) and NCMEC for their continued work and collaboration in the shared mission of supporting AMBER Alert programs across the nation and internationally.

Hanson recognized National Police Week, thanking law enforcement participants for their outstanding service on behalf of America’s communities. He also recognized Pamela Foster and Amy Bloxom, two surviving family members of abducted and murdered children, who spoke with participants during the event, expressing his appreciation and admiration for their willingness and bravery in sharing their experiences.

Reflecting on the amazing work of the AMBER Alert partners, Hanson spoke of accomplishments and improvements in response and safe recoveries over the last five years. He noted that last year, AMBER Alert programs across the U.S. responded to 200 AMBER Alerts involving 263 children in 38 states, with almost 60 percent of those children recovered in three hours. He noted the powerful role the secondary distribution network has played in these alerts, with 94 percent of AMBER Alert cases in 2017 ending in successful recoveries due all or in part to the distribution of the alerts over this network.

“It’s hard to imagine that there was a time, not terribly long ago, when this incredible resource wasn’t available,” said Hanson. “Of course, a positive outcome is never guaranteed, but the statistics show that when AMBER Alert is part of the response, the odds are very high that an abducted child will come home safely.”

In speaking about his work and responsibilities, Hanson emphasized, “My role as National AMBER Alert Coordinator is one of my most critical responsibilities – and one I take seriously. I take great pride in knowing that my agency, particularly our Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, plays such an important part in supporting the AMBER Alert network.”

Hanson recognized AATTAP’s significant training reach and impact through onsite and online learning events and offerings. He noted AATTAP’s website and publication accomplishments, along with its stewardship of the DOJ Child Abduction Response Training (CART) initiative, training more than 250 CARTs, with 23 of those teams completing the rigorous CART Certification Program.

Hanson discussed how AATTAP is working with tribal partners, noting that the May 2016 abduction and murder of Ashlynne Mike from the Navajo Nation made clear that although much progress has been made through AMBER Alerts, significant work is still needed to assist tribes across the nation.

Hanson praised the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act signed in April 2018 by President Trump, emphasizing the new law will “ensure that resources are available to help protect American Indian children and spare others the suffering that Pamela Foster and her family have endured.”

Hanson emphasized that AATTAP and OJJDP will continue to work with tribal partners, building upon the more than 1,500 tribal first responders and tribal child protection professionals who have been trained so far. He encouraged all participants to become familiar with the resources and integrated information provided through AATTAP’s Tribal Database website.

“In Indian Country–and across the country–AMBER Alert is making a difference,” said Hanson. He added that the strong and good work being done by the AMBER Alert partners in their states and communities is a principal force in stopping those who seek to abduct children.

“I would wager that the very existence of AMBER Alert has deterred criminals from carrying out their designs,” said Hanson. “There’s no question that AMBER Alert is a potent public safety weapon and an enormous asset in our fight to protect children.”

Hanson remarked on the amazing progress of AMBER Alert since its inception 22 years ago. “From the seed of an idea planted on a radio talk show, AMBER Alert has grown into something very powerful, and very special–a national force for good. What a way to honor the memory of a little girl who, today, might have had a child of her own to look out for.”

AATTAP Administrator Jim Walters presented Donna Uzzell, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with an award honoring her many years of stewardship and significant contributions to the CART program. Also pictured are Alan R. Hanson, Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General, USDOJ; and James Antal, Associate Administrator, OJJDP.

Florida AMBER Alert partner recognized for creating child abduction response teams

AATTAP Administrator Jim Walters presented Donna Uzzell, Special Agent in Charge, Statewide Investigative Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with an award honoring her many years of stewardship and significant contributions to the Child Abduction Response Team (CART) program initiative and training.

Walters shared how Uzzell championed the CART concept in Florida and in her work over the past decade, expanding the program with FVTC, OJJDP and AATTAP. He noted how Uzzell’s leadership contributed to the development of a comprehensive curriculum, and thanked her for the many hours of expert instruction she and other CART instructors have provided to hundreds of CART training participants across the nation. “We would not be doing what we are today without the help of Donna,” said Walters.

AWARN – Advanced alerting using next generation television

Fiona James, Deputy Director of the AWARN Alliance, offered details about the advanced alerting program known as ‘NextGen ATSC 3.0.’ The system was approved November 2017 by the FCC. She explained the technology is ideal for mobile devices and connected vehicles and discussed how it worked during 2017’s large-scale weather emergencies.

James acknowledged emergency managers’ concerns about over-alerting, which causes people to tune out or ignore alerts. She described how providing incomplete information can inadvertently drive people into harm’s way, noting how critically important it is to use targeted, geographic alerting with clear information and messaging.

James outlined AWARN’s advantages, including geo-targeting capabilities, rich media (photo, video, maps and routes), ability to support multilingual content, message accessibility, deep indoor and mobile reception, device-wakeup capability and integration with social media platforms (creating a hybrid backchannel for alerting). She also noted its scalability to an unlimited number of devices.

Efforts are underway to migrate to a ‘banner’ style of alert for screen messaging, which can include a photo of the child. James noted users will be able to exit or close the banner or click on it for more information. AWARN can also deliver additional information and instructions to help the public better understand important messages and reduce calls for more details that can overload 911 call centers, law enforcement agencies and two-way communication systems.

AWARN is working to develop the best possible user experience by gathering input from focus groups including public safety professionals. A primary goal is to create a consistent look and feel across states so the public recognizes the messages as ‘real’ alerts--and not just another version of ‘breaking news.’ The transfer to ATSC 3.0 will move from market to market beginning in late 2018 as part of a strategic testing and rollout process. More information is available at www.awarn.org.

Family abductions and cross-border cases: identifying and responding to high risk incidents and utilizing specialized resources

Maureen Heads, Program Manager with the Missing Children Division at NCMEC, spoke about the increase in frequency and level of endangerment in family abduction cases. She said the majority of abductions, 66 percent, involve a family member; noting an increase from 57 percent in 2013.

Heads explained NCMEC’s role in providing technical assistance and support to families, law enforcement and prosecutors. She noted that while those working in this area from NCMEC are not attorneys, they are well-positioned to assist both families and child protection professionals with process and resource needs.

Heads emphasized the important consideration that parental abduction cases may not involve taking a child through physical force or emotional persuasion, which is characteristic of stereotypical stranger abductions. Children in these cases may be completely unaware of a conflict or struggle between the parents and may go with the taking parent as a matter of normal behavior, and because they trust the parent.

Heads illustrated the complexity this element of willingness can bring to the case. “The person you are helping one day may be the person you’re looking for the next day.”

Heads shared an overview of the work of Sharon Cooper, a specialized researcher at NCMEC, who developed a report highlighting parental abductions. The report discusses both realities and myths around these cases. She also highlighted legal issues regarding family abductions, citing federal statutes and explaining how they define both the authority and support available to investigators when responding to parental or family abductions.

Heads said law enforcement should not be hesitant about taking enforcement action in parental or family abduction cases. She presented statistics surrounding family violence as it correlates to family abductions and the issuance of AMBER Alerts. She confirmed that in all situations and for all questions regarding family abduction cases, the best way to contact NCMEC for assistance is to call the main call center at 1-800-THE-LOST.

Cross-border cases were discussed, citing case report statistics and the importance of resource support and intervention to work toward ensuring these abducted children do not leave the country. The timelines and progression of cross-border parental abduction cases underscore how important it is to act quickly on potential travel or cross-border movement rather than waiting.

Heads discussed the Mexican National AMBER Alert System (Alerta AMBER México), noting the strength and coordination of the program with NCMEC and U.S. AMBER Alert programs. She recognized the Mexican system’s Coordinator for her leadership and expertise with the program.

Heads acknowledged that while it is daunting to consider all of the agencies, resources and people working in these cases, law enforcement and public safety professionals should not hesitate to take action in pursuing them. She encouraged participants to contact NCMEC as soon as possible in these cases, so they can assist with coordination and provide ongoing support and assistance from beginning to end.

A surviving family’s perspective: Amy Bloxom, mother of Justin Bloxom

Introducing Amy Bloxom, Jim Walters acknowledged the invaluable contribution she and other strong and courageous family members and survivors make to the

AATTAP mission through their sharing of experiences and ongoing efforts following their families’ ordeals.

Bloxom shared details about her late son Justin, who was 12-years-old when he was abducted from a friend’s home in Stonewall, Louisiana, in March 2010. The boy was taken by a convicted sex offender who used messaging and social networking to lure him out of the house under the belief that he was meeting a girl from the area.

Bloxom described the impact of the loss of her child, the role technology played in his disappearance and how digital evidence played a key part in the conviction of his murderer.

Justin’s murderer was able to lure him under false pretense through text messages. “Four hours of text messaging is what it took for him to get to Justin,” said Bloxom. She said killer Brian Horn knew he was texting a 12-year-old boy because her son shared his age in the messages.

Bloxom shared about the night Justin was abducted. She spoke of the tips and leads that came in once the AMBER Alert was issued, including the school teacher who was up late grading papers and spotted the ‘Action Taxi’ used by Horn.

She recalled how it felt in the hours during which she waited for any word during the search for Justin. “All I could do was just sit there and pray. All the things you start praying for, thinking about.”

She also shared the moment when she learned of Justin’s murder. “When I saw my big brother crying, who is this big, strong, fighting, high-adrenaline police officer…at that point, I knew I no longer had Justin.”

It took four years for Horn to be tried for the murder. Beginning on March 28, 2014, Bloxom and her brother were the first to testify. The next day jurors were taken to the site of the murder. On March 31, all of the text messages sent between Horn and her son were read to the jury. This was the first time Bloxom had heard those messages.

She said it was haunting to listen to the texts, and how she wished her son had not answered them. The prosecutor and her support team helped her remember that Justin was only twelve and Horn was an adult who knew exactly what to say to lure her son.

The prosecution rested on April 5, 2014. After 45 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Horn guilty of first degree capital murder. During the penalty phase deliberations, Bloxom explained that one of the most redeeming moments during those horrible years of waiting for justice was to finally see her son’s killer placed in handcuffs. “For four years I watched this man appear in street clothes and no handcuffs,” she said. “Justin didn’t have any rights.”

Following the trial, jurors did not want to go immediately home, but instead visited Justin’s memorial garden, which the community had built and maintained in the years following Justin’s death. Bloxom recalled how one of the jurors spontaneously began to speak the Lord’s Prayer, with all others joining in to offer up a prayer for Justin.

The same juror held a cross in his hands throughout the entire trial. As they prepared to leave the garden, he gave the cross to Bloxom.

The sentencing hearing was held 45 days later, on the day before what would have been Justin’s 17th birthday. When Horn asked to speak, the judge told him his words were hollow and denied his request. The judge then sentenced Horn to death. Bloxom said the best birthday gift that could be given to Justin was to see his killer spend his first night on death row in Angola prison.

Bloxom spoke of the power of the AMBER Alert and all the incredible work done by law enforcement, along with the amazing response and support of the community during the search and caring for the family. She shared examples of the community continuing to honor Justin during important milestones he would have experienced, such as his high school’s ‘Senior Night’ and graduation ceremonies.

The taxi used by Horn was put back into rotation after the investigation and forensics were completed, yet ironically another crime was committed in that same vehicle. After the taxi was once again seized and to be auctioned, a local civilian bought the car and another taxi cab company paid to have the vehicle shredded and demolished.

Bloxom discussed her work to develop and pass ‘Justin’s Law,’ which prohibits registered sex offenders from obtaining a taxi driving permit. Prior to its passage, a registered sex offender could obtain a license to drive a cab; background checks outside of the state of the permit were not required. Horn had been released from prison in Missouri in 2008.

In closing, Bloxom shared photos of her son’s life, and of the memorial garden and events honoring him. “We relive this every day. Every day we wake up, we relive it; it doesn’t just go away. But we keep talking about it, and keep sharing it, because what you do is so important to get these alerts out. What the FBI did with the cell phone was incredible, that work was a huge part of being able to make the case.”

A surviving family’s perspective: Pamela Foster, mother of Ashlynne Mike

“May 2018 marks the second year of living without my beautiful daughter, who will never make it home.”

Pamela Foster expressed how with each anniversary of Ashlynne’s murder, she relives the nightmare, experiencing again the feeling of being crushed to the core. Even now, she remarked, the feelings of helplessness are still very much alive. She never expected to face such a tragedy and did not expect to have to understand the crime of abduction. She said in the Navajo culture, they do not speak of or think about abductions, as they do not want to create or call forth such evil.

On May 2, 2016, Foster received news her daughter Ashlynne and brother Ian were abducted on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. She received a call from her older daughter that they were taken in a red van. Foster said she immediately called her local police department but was transferred from one department to another, all in different towns.

Foster was desperately trying get someone to understand that she was in great distress, worry, fear and anger about what happened to her children. “I seriously thought that a missing persons call would get law enforcement on their toes and into action,” she said. “That did not happen.”

She turned to social media to share information and ask for help. Foster was in California and could not just get in her car and start searching. Hours had now passed and the sun had begun to set. In late evening, she received word Ian was seen running in the desert by an elderly couple. Although reluctant to get into the couple’s vehicle, he did because he was desperate to help his sister. Foster said she is grateful that this family helped him.

Foster described the frustration she felt because outside agencies could not search until authorization was given from the Navajo Nation. An AMBER alert was finally issued the next day around 2:30 p.m. “I can’t even begin to describe the pain that I was in,” she said. “I was happy my son had been found, but my daughter was still missing.”

Overwhelmed with fear and emotion, Foster paced the floor waiting to be given information, wrestling with questions and searching for what to do. She prayed to God as the search for Ashlynne ensued.

The next day, May 3, Foster continued posting information on social media, begging the public to please help search for her daughter. She spoke about the calls she received that morning, none of which brought any good news. Around noon she received a call, and upon hearing muffled sounds of crying on the other end of the phone, she knew the news was not good. Foster said she was heartbroken when she learned her daughter was found but had been murdered.

“The best way I can describe the way I felt in that moment is to compare it to a near death experience, seeing flashes of Ashlynne’s life, from her birth through all the milestones of her precious life,” said Foster. “What I held to be so precious was taken from us.”

Foster spoke of how she wrestled with the evil of her daughter’s murderer. She said her faith helped her survive the torturous pain that was to follow.

“This monster abducted my children with the motive to rape and kill,” she said. ”Since the death of my daughter, I have come to know that evil is not some kind of supernatural force, but it walks among us. It breaks my heart that the last thing she saw was him.”

“I know she was probably calling for us and was frightened for her little brother Ian. Only God knows when my baby girl took her last breath; she was precious and she did not deserve to die this way. To this day we all struggle with the reality that our daughter, little sister and friend was taken from us. I have become her voice, because hers was taken from her. At her eulogy, I spoke for her.”

In the weeks and months following Ashlynne’s murder, Foster was determined to bring justice for her daughter, her family and her community. She organized a petition to bring the death penalty on the reservation, yet that effort did not succeed due to the tribe’s traditional values and beliefs.

She continued to find ways to advocate for what she felt needed to happen, spending hours writing to representatives in Congress, seeking help on a bill to ensure the Navajo Nation and all Indian tribes would have the ability to rapidly respond to reports of missing children and use AMBER Alert systems.

Foster recognized the diligent work of Senators John McCain and Heidi Heitkamp, and Congressman Andy Biggs, in bringing the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act into Congress in the spring of 2017. She shared how during this time, she felt her spirit had died. Foster said she had no quiet time and was constantly bombarded by the media.

In a struggle to carry on, Foster put her energy into working for justice for Ashlynne and for the passage of the Act and having it signed into law. With each visit to Washington D.C., and in meetings with lawmakers, Ashlynne’s story became better known to legislators. Although she was exhausted, Foster said she pushed through daily, for her daughter.

On October 20, 2017, Ashlynne’s murderer was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for her abduction, rape and murder. On March 28, 2018, Navajo Nation leaders met with Congressman Biggs to commemorate the passage and renaming of the legislation to the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act during a press conference held at the Arizona State Capitol. On April 13, 2018, President Trump signed Ashlynne’s Act into law.

Foster said Ashlynne’s death has brought to light the broader issues of missing and murdered Native women and children, human trafficking and exploitation, and all of the evil and criminal actions surrounding what happened to Ashlynne and other victims like her. “I see changes happening, but they are happening very slowly. I believe if there was some kind of system in place at the time of the kidnapping, we may have had a greater chance of finding Ashlynne alive.”

Foster said she feels her daughter’s presence through her continued work to bring awareness to the issue of child protection, and the larger problem of missing and murdered women and children in Indian Country. “I hear Ashlynne saying, ‘Mommy please do something to help the children.’ This is my reason for advocating and standing strong to fight for protection and justice for Native women and children.”

Foster thanked and challenged the participants to do everything possible to ensure that when a child goes missing, time is spent actively searching for the child and investigating the case, rather than being held up by bureaucracy or searching for what to do. “If you have tribes in your state, what are you doing to help them?”

A booby-trapped home, a burning truck and an armed, suicidal father high on methamphetamines sparked Idaho to issue an AMBER Alert and initiate a massive search in Idaho and Nevada. Joshua Dundon picked up his six- and seven-year-old daughters from school on the morning of May 10, 2017 and then disappeared.

The following day hikers saw a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado rushing up a hill in Eureka County, Nevada. When they hiked back they called 911 after hearing a gunshot, discovering the truck was on fire and witnessing a man talking to a child hidden in the trees.

Boise Police Department notified the public about the missing father and two endangered daughters, Jaylynn and Madison, on May 13. Officers later received information Dundon had been in a methamphetamine-fueled state of paranoia. They also found a house filled with holes in the walls and that had been booby-trapped to start a fire by leaking natural gas.

That same day the Eureka Sheriff’s Department determined the truck belonged to Dundon. Seeing news coverage of the missing girls, they contacted the Boise Police Department.

On May 15, Idaho AMBER Alert Coordinator Dawn Peck of the Idaho State Police received a request from the Boise Police Department to issue an AMBER Alert. Peck determined the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

“The taking of the children without notice, the evidence at his home and the burnt-out truck caused the investigating agency to request the AMBER Alert and I agreed to do so,” said Peck. “Although under the national guidelines the girls were missing for well over 12 hours, in Idaho we err on the side of the children and issued the alert because of the evidence in the case.”

Dawn Peck, Idaho State Police, Bureau of Identification Manager, Statewide AMBER Alert Coordinator

Peck authorized the AMBER Alert at 1:13 p.m. and it was issued at 1:43 p.m. The alert was sent to law enforcement, broadcasters, highway signs, Emergency Alert System, the state lottery system and to people who signed up to receive alerts by email.

Boise Detective Angie Munson had asked Nevada to also issue an AMBER Alert but the state said it did not meet its criteria because authorities were no longer looking for a vehicle.

“Our public information officer contacted the media in Nevada and Utah and sent them a news release requesting coverage of the missing girls,” said Munson.

That same day Eureka County Sheriff’s Office organized search and rescue teams including searchers on four-wheelers, horseback and in the air. They found survival gear, weapons and ammunition but not the father and two girls. Authorities became more concerned because temperatures were dropping and it was starting to rain.

“We were fearful for the safety of the children,” said Peck. “There had been witnesses to the truck being burnt and they heard a child, but we had no idea where they went from there or if the children were hurt.”

At 5:30 p.m. an adult male walked into a ranch wearing cutoff sweat pants and a hoodie. He told the owners he needed help. Vera Baumannn told KTVB her husband recognized the man as the suspect in an AMBER Alert and called the sheriff’s office.

“He was very cold, he was hungry, he was thirsty and he could hardly walk because he had walked in about two miles,” said Baumann. “He said he left (his daughters) behind. He knew they were not going to make it so he walked in for help.”

Searchers started searching the area around the ranch and found the girls 90 minutes later hiding under a tree. They were hungry, bruised and suffering from frostbite. Police had been yelling for the girls but the youngest daughter was so terrified she was afraid to speak. The older daughter finally called out for help.

Authorities learned Dundon told his daughters their house had been burned down, their dog had been poisoned and their mom and the police were trying to kill them.

“The girls were incredibly strong and showed great courage to survive in the conditions they faced,” said Eureka County Sheriff Keith Logan. “We would like to thank all of the agencies, personnel and citizens who were so instrumental in in helping locate and recover these young ladies.”

The suspect was treated at a hospital and booked into jail. The two girls were also hospitalized and received treatment for exposure, kidney failure and frostbite. The AMBER Alert was canceled at 10:02 p.m.

Detective Munson said this case showed her how AMBER Alerts can be a powerful tool to find abducted children. “It not only helps with the recovery of the children, but also–as in this case–identified the path traveled and provided additional leads for the investigation.”

Boise Police issued this statement from the victim’s family. “They say they are grateful to the community for sharing information while the girls were missing and for their thoughts and prayers. They also want to thank the Nevada law enforcement officials and community members who helped (in the) search.”

Peck said she is glad she made the call to issue the alert. “Authorities said the girls would not have been able to survive much longer in the conditions. Do not adhere to the national guidelines so closely that you pass an opportunity to save a child.”

She also urged AMBER Alert coordinators to know their counterparts in neighboring states and how to contact them. “The only challenge and lesson learned from this case has to do with keeping our list of coordinators and procedures for requesting a state to rebroadcast our alert up to date.”

Idaho has significant experience with issuing AMBER Alerts for other states. Since the state started its child abduction alert program in 2005, Idaho has issued 30 AMBER Alerts, including reissuing eight alerts from other states.

Dundon accepted a plea deal in September 2017 and admitted to felony custodial interference. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2017, including eight years before being eligible for parole.

Brent Currence is the Education Coordinator for the Ohio Missing Persons Unit and serves on the Ohio AMBER Alert Steering Committee. He is also an Associate for the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College. Currence retired as a Trooper and helped create the screen for dispatchers and local law enforcement officers to enter an AMBER Alert into the state’s system.

How does your local AMBER Alert program work?

Local law enforcement responds to investigate, and based on the circumstances of the investigation they determine if the case meets the AMBER Alert criteria. If they know right away it is going to meet the AMBER Alert criteria, they flag the NCIC entry using the AMBER Alert code, which notifies several different agencies of the requested AMBER Alert. The Ohio State Highway Patrol, who issues the alert in our state, would call the requesting agency and make sure the criteria are met; and if so would then issue the alert. Our agency is notified and our state Child Abduction Response Team offers support services and personnel to augment the investigation.

Who are your key AMBER Alert partners and who is on your advisory committee?

Our committee is made up of many different entities including local law enforcement, police chiefs, the sheriff’s association, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Ohio Broadcasters Association, Ohio Department of Transportation, emergency communications, the FBI and others.

We all work very well together. That is one of the nice things about our committee, we get along very well; nobody tries to dominate the conversation. We are all working towards the same goal and work well together in addressing issues.

What are the two biggest lessons you have learned that you would want to pass on to other AMBER Alert coordinators?

The biggest thing is training. So many people change positions, especially in law enforcement; you have people coming in new, others being promoted or transferred, and this all affects knowledge and effective operations when time is of the essence in these missing child cases. It is important that local agencies know how to activate the AMBER Alert; and if they do not, they know who to call to get the process started.

Too often time is wasted just trying to figure out who issues the alert or who has what responsibility in the process. Just knowing a simple thing like ‘How do I get started?’ or ‘Who do I call to get assistance?’ can make all the difference. Training, which should include making people aware of all the resources that are out there to help them, is the most important thing. AMBER Alerts are so time-sensitive, and there are people out there willing to help in a case with an abducted child. These resources can be at the handling agency’s fingertips if they just know who to contact.

What role does social media play in AMBER Alerts in Ohio?

Social media is awesome in reaching a tremendous amount of people very quickly. We obviously use Twitter and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children administers our Facebook page. I was recently looking at some of the people who follow us on Twitter and many of them are reporters for television and other media. One of the local reporters had 87,000 followers, so when he retweets something he is immediately reaching 87,000 people quickly. When I look at the system just around Central Ohio, with the number of reporters in that area who are retweeting an alert, they are reaching nearly 300,000 people very, very quickly.

In terms of concerns with social media, the main issue we have encountered is when an alert has been canceled yet is still being circulated on Facebook or Twitter. In those cases, we have been able to get them canceled, or to get others to stop sending the alerts fairly quickly.

What is your vision or primary goals for your AMBER Alert Program? What is next on your list?

Our primary focus of concern in issuing AMBER Alerts is technology and the software to issue them. It is expensive. It would be nice to be able to see the different systems talk to each other. When we do cross-state alerts, much of it is done by phone and we are taking time to email pictures, pass on information, etc. If there was a system that could be used by everybody that would be as simple as looking up and transferring information relating to the alert, it would save so much time, which is obviously essential in these types of cases.

The other issue is training and awareness. I worked in law enforcement for years and the agency I worked for was thankfully very big on training. I can see such huge differences in training when working with local law enforcement across the state, in terms of how agencies react to certain situations and how they do or do not prepare for these through training. Every year in Ohio our law enforcement officers are required to do various types of training, often twice a year - such as use of force training, firearms qualifications, and pursuit driving; yet AMBER Alert training is not required at least annually. I would like to see that happen.

Is there an AMBER Alert case that had a big impact on you and your Ohio AMBER Alert partners?

We had an AMBER Alert occur while we were at a conference. The alert was in Northern Ohio in a very rural community. The suspect abducted a 14-year-old girl and killed her younger brother, murdered her mother and the mother’s friend.

The agency initially requested an AMBER Alert but at the time we did not have a witnessed abduction. We require a witnessed abduction, so it took a several of us on the phone working together to be able to support the local sheriff the best we could. We ended up issuing an Endangered Missing Child Advisory and providing the sheriff with many resources. The sheriff was willing to accept the assistance and help because he had never experienced anything like this.

We were able to recover the girl safely; the suspect’s intention was to kill the child. We were able to find her alive in his basement before he was able to do that. Reflecting on that case, it was amazing how everybody worked so quickly and effectively together, because this incident spanned a large area and different entities from the county in which it occurred. The AMBER Alert helped generate a lot of tips and leads based on things the public saw. These tips led us to the suspect, allowing us to arrest him and safely recover the female child involved.

AMBER ALERT TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR SHARES VISION FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN

Jim Walters has accomplished a lot since becoming AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) Administrator in July 2014. Nearly 40 years in law enforcement and the military has helped prepare him for the critical task at hand, and he is still driven to learn and do more to help endangered, missing and abducted children.

Walters remembers working as an investigator on an abduction case involving three children taken by a known sexual predator. The case occurred before the creation of the AMBER Alert system and before training was available through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

“Mistakes were made in that case that allowed the perpetrator to slip through our fingers in the early hours of the investigation,” said Walters. “It took 56 days to track down that man and recover the three children. Those were 56 of the longest days ever.”

“I want to make sure investigators today have the tools they need so they don’t make the mistakes we did back then. And so those children can be recovered and brought home safely.”

Under Jim Walters’ leadership, and through the efforts of his AATTAP team, many important accomplishments have been realized.

The Program is reaching increased numbers of training participants at a lower cost by partnering with local law enforcement agencies to host and market training brought to their local areas by AATTAP.
A Tribal Database website provides both publicly-available and secure/credentialed information and resources to tribal communities and law enforcement to support development of comprehensive child protection and recovery strategies.
The AMBER Advocate website provides a vast array of public information and resources, as well as a secure/credentialed Partners Portal for collaboration amongst state AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Person Clearinghouse Managers and Child Abduction Response Team (CART) members (AMBERAdvocate.org).
More than 45 new families of missing, exploited and abducted children have joined with AATTAP to participate in a series of Family and Survivor Roundtable events, giving them a voice to share critically important information on their experiences, lessons learned and needed training for first responders, investigators and prosecutors about working with families in the aftermath of an abduction.
New 1-2 day workshops have been developed, providing participants with the targeted and specific skills they need in an efficient yet thorough manner.

Never tiring in these pursuits, Walters is committed to continuing work in these areas, and has set new goals and priorities with his team for the future.

Evidence-based training

Walters plans to develop and deliver onsite evidence-based training to improve the speed and effectiveness of law enforcement’s response in the following case types.

Missing, abducted and endangered children
Child trafficking
Endangered high-risk youth
Special populations of children at-risk, including at-risk children in tribal communities

“The key here is evidence-based training,” said Walters. “We want to be sure that what we are teaching represents the best practices, best tactics and techniques for responding to these threats against children.”

“We have over a decade of delivering training and technical assistance on these topics and work with some of the greatest investigators and service providers in the world.”

Walters hopes to combine that past experience with the latest technology and input from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the FBI and other child protection partners. He is also committed to ensuring critical information from surviving family members of missing and abducted children and the investigators who worked those cases is carefully integrated into evidence-based training.

More training access

An important focus of AATTAP’s work is to afford everyone equitable access to quality training; regardless of geographic location and work schedule. Walters and his team want to ensure all those working in child protection and everyone concerned with family and child safety can get the same level of information and resources. This is accomplished by offering eLearning –through both self-directed/anytime online training as well as scheduled live webinar events – and through onsite technical assistance that can be requested by agencies and/or jurisdictions and brought to their areas through collaboration with AATTAP and the requestor’s local/partner agencies.

“We specifically want to target those communities with at-risk populations and those who have a hard time getting to training or accessing resources, whether it is tribal communities, rural agencies or immigrant communities that need our training,” said Walters.

This goal includes two major initiatives. The first is developing “Train the Trainer” programs for AATTAP’s investigative courses. This involves partnering with agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Academy, state and regional Child Abduction Response Team (CART) programs and others, so that more certified instructors can be trained and thus available to deliver training at the local level.

The second initiative involves a comprehensive review of more than 300 CART programs trained since 2005. Each team will be evaluated to see if additional training is needed. Each team will also be encouraged to prepare for and complete the US-DOJ CART Certification process administered by AATTAP.

“I believe strongly we have the ability to make major improvements in how we prepare first responders, investigators and service providers for the critical call of an endangered missing or abducted child,” said Walters. “These projects, along with our traditional training offerings, can make the difference when time is critical and training and skills are put to the test.”

By Denise Gee Peacock

WINDOW ROCK — On December 12, 2017, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye signed a contract to purchase a mass notification software to implement an emergency alert system for road closures, weather notifications, hazardous waste spills, wildfires, and AMBER Alerts.

“We always pray that we will never have another abduction, but we need this in place so that the whole Nation can be alert and help make sure that a child is recovered safely and quickly,” President Begaye said. “I appreciate the work of everyone that made this possible. This is will make life safer here on the Navajo Nation.”

The Navajo Nation had previously negotiated the use of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah’s AMBER Alert system. However, the extra steps to run through all three states delayed notifications.

“We appreciate the assistance the Navajo Nation received to issue alerts, but with this purchase, the Navajo Nation will have the ability to issue our own notifications immediately,” Vice President Jonathan Nez said. “We are proud to be the first tribe to have our own alert system now in place for the safety of our people.”

Once installed, the emergency alert system will officially be under the Navajo Division of Public Safety (NDPS) and managed by the Navajo Department of Emergency Management (NDEM). NDEM expects to have the software deployed for use by the end of the year.

“We’re very interested in improving the efficiency of services to the Navajo people,” Jesse Delmar, director of DPS said. “We’re glad to be a part of this and what we’re so proud of is never before has an independent tribe had this system to themselves.”

With the mass notification software, the department is able to issue alerts for a variety of emergencies – not only for AMBER Alerts, which was the only emergency alert situation covered in the agreement between the tribe and states.

In May 2016, President Russell Begaye gave the directive for the Navajo Nation to secure an AMBER Alert system. Before the end of the year, the Navajo Nation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow Navajo public safety officials the authority to access the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).

With training and certification to use IPAWS, the next step in the process was to go through the procurement process and internal checks-and-balances of the Navajo Nation to purchase the software. Everbridge was the company ultimately chosen.

“In an emergency situation, time is of the essence to get information out to community members,” Harland Cleveland, acting NDEM director said. “Especially, in the instance of a child abduction, the public is our eyes and ears.”

According to Cleveland, with the President’s signing, the Navajo Nation will have the capability to push alerts over radio, television and text messaging to all 11 counties that fall within the Nation’s borders. In the future, efforts will be made to add a Blue Alert and Silver Alert to the system.

Just a month before Hurricanes Maria and Irma brought massive devastation in Puerto Rico, law enforcement officers in the U.S. territory had fortunately received training on how to find missing and abducted children.

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program’s event held August 23-24, 2017, had more than 450 participants representing all 13 regions of Puerto Rico. The event included presentations from a family member of an abducted child, lessons on how to interview high-risk victims and how to handle long-term missing person cases.

”The participants were engaged and they were eager to learn,” said Jesi Leon-Baron, regional liaison and project coordinator with the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program. ”They were asking lots of questions. They wanted to know about the different scenarios and different tools to help them with their investigations, especially with high risk victims.”

This was the first AMBER Alert training in Puerto Rico in more than a decade. Participants discussed how to organize their resources and find funding to strengthen the territory’s AMBER Alert program and how to develop a Child Abduction Response Team.

“They really want to mimic the same systems we have here in the continental U.S. to find abducted children,” added Leon- Baron. “They know the need is there.”

Kay Vazquez, a criminal analyst for the Special Investigations Bureau and Clearinghouse for Missing Children for Puerto Rico said the training was highly useful.

“I especially enjoyed the presentations regarding long-term missing children cases and hope to implement some of the ideas in our investigations,” said Vazquez. “The presentations on high risk victims and trafficking also changed my perception of runaways and how our jurisdiction deals with this type of investigation. It was very gratifying to see other individuals who are committed in fighting child related crimes.”

Law enforcement representatives from the U.S. and Mexico participated in a Cross-Border Abduction Response training July 20-21, 2017, in Tucson, Arizona. The presentation was part of the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program’s Southern Border Initiative (SBI), and focused on the southern border state AMBER Alert programs and how those states can work cooperatively with the Alerta AMBER in Mexico system. Participants engaged in challenging cross-border abduction scenario tabletop exercises to work through the process of identifying and understanding these resources and critically important coordination points.

Community members, law enforcement and others working in prevention and response to the problems of sex trafficking came together for a community workshop offered by the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) September 14, 2017. Throughout the event, participants listened and learned from a panel of survivors of sex trafficking, discussing important questions and dynamics which must be understood in order to carry out effective prevention and recovery work. Cindy McCain of the McCain Institute’s Human Trafficking Program also addressed law enforcement officers through a video conference during the workshop.

“It was an honor to have Cindy McCain join us,” said Jason Sterling, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Manager. “Her program educates, raises awareness and implements innovative, action-based solutions to end modern slavery.”

Otto is Ohio’s first state-certified courthouse dog which allows him to sit in the witness box when a child or victim of crime is called to testify in court.

“He will give that unconditional love that kids sometimes never get,” added Romans. “It helps for better testimony or an interview. He will help kids who don’t want to be interviewed or do not feel comfortable enough to be interviewed.”

She remembers one child who did not want to be interviewed until Otto jumped on his lap. “He just started crying and then let go and told us what happened,” she said. “[Otto] works his magic.”

Romans urges more organizations to get a facilities dog, especially if they work with abduction, human trafficking and other abuse victims.

His full name is Ottimo, but this lab and retriever mix canine is often called “Awesome Otto.” He is a professionally trained companion that assists crime victims, witnesses and others in need during child forensic interviews, forensic medical exams and legal proceedings.

Otto was also a star guest at the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program’s June 2017 Multi-Disciplinary Response to High Risk Victims training in Columbus, Ohio.

Laura Romans is the Crime Victims Service Manager for the Harcum House Child Advocacy Center in Lancaster, Ohio. She takes Otto to trainings and when she works as a forensic interviewer of child abuse victims.

“Everyone loves him,” said Romans. “He is an emotional support for the children. When he is calm then the children are calm. They think it is amazing he will curl up with him.”

The dog was specifically bred and trained for two years by Canine Companions for Independence, an accredited organization of Assistance Dogs International. He has been present during more than 500 child interviews.

In the early morning hours of September 3, 2017, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida received a call about an abduction. A convicted felon kidnapped an 11-year-old female relative and then dragged her into the woods.

The child’s grandmother woke in the middle of the night and discovered the girl’s room was locked. She picked the lock and discovered a 50-year-old man sexually abusing the girl. The man grabbed the child, who was screaming hysterically and naked from the waist down. He ran into the woods, continuing to sexually assault her.

The suspect had been incarcerated at least eight times since 1989 and was released from prison in 2014. He then married a relative of the victim.

Deputies arrived at the home in Apopka, Florida, within minutes after the 911 call was placed. Search dogs were brought in and a command post was set up. A BOLO (Be on the Lookout) message was sent to all law enforcement in the area.

When the suspect and the child could not be found, Orange County Corporal Benjamin Thorpe decided an AMBER Alert was needed to give the child the best chance of survival.

“The decision to move forward with an AMBER Alert was based off the manner in which the suspect abducted the victim into the woods and his past history of sex abuse,” said Thorpe. “I was concerned, based on training and statistics, that the victim may have been deceased.”

Detectives gathered information about the child, suspect and significant events surrounding the investigation to support the alert. At approximately 7:00 a.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had a

conference call with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Assistant Special Agent in Charge, the Regional Special Agent Supervisor and the AMBER Alert Coordinator to discuss issuing the alert.

“The case clearly met the AMBER Alert criteria,” said Florida AMBER Alert Coordinator Lyndsey Pitts. “We believed the child was at risk of great bodily harm or death and there was a clear indication of an abduction.”

The AMBER Alert was issued by the FDLE at 7:23 a.m. and notifications were sent to the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Lottery and all law enforcement agencies in the state. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system deployed an alert text message to all cell phones in Florida.

The AMBER Alert was broadcast on television and radio, posted on social media and sent to everyone in Florida who signed up to receive AMBER Alerts by email.

The FDLE Child Abduction Response Team (CART) was also activated to assist the Orange County Sheriff’s Office with a door-to-door search. More than 100 law enforcement officers from several agencies took part in searching for the child.

About three hours after the alert was issued, a member of the public who saw the alert on TV discovered the victim. “The victim was banging on the windshield of an abandoned vehicle,” said Thorpe. “I am very thankful and proud that a member of the community intervened and notified law enforcement.”

“Everyone at FDLE and all law enforcement involved were pleased with the child’s safe return,” added Pitts.

Florida AMBER Alert Coordinator Lyndsey Pitts

Florida has issued 217 AMBER Alerts since 2000. Thorpe has investigated several missing child cases, but this was his first AMBER Alert request. He said the investigation did have some challenges, which included tracking all of the law enforcement officers from different agencies needed for the investigation and managing the numerous tips received to protect against duplication or loss of important leads.

Thorpe offered this advice for other AMBER Alert partners. “Use resources effectively. Manage the information as it comes in and delegate responsibilities to trustworthy sources. Do not be afraid to push forward with the AMBER Alert once you have the appropriate information and meet the criteria.”

The father of the victim posted his thanks on Facebook for everyone who helped find his daughter. “I want to thank the community for [coming] together to help find her but most of all I want to thank the police officer[s] who [were] out there helping to find my baby.”

Jennifer Viets has been the Montana AMBER Alert Coordinator since 2012. She has been the state’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager since 2009. Viets started as a training officer for Montana’s Criminal Justice Information Network in 1994. She also worked as a 911 public safety dispatcher and supervisor for five years.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR AMBER ALERT AND CLEARINGHOUSE PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE YOUR PROGRAMS SUCCESSFUL?

I am not sure I would use the word unique, but I think there are two keys to our successful programs: 1) the relationships we have built with Montana’s law enforcement agencies and Montana’s AMBER Alert partners; and 2) the passion and dedication of our staff.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT AND CLEARINGHOUSE PROGRAMS?

No budget, very small staff, duties and “other duties as assigned” affect our ability to have the time to practice and stay as sharp and current as we would like. Also managing contact lists for media, high turnover, getting timely information when we have an alert, and delay in reporting parties contacting us; these are all challenges we face and work to improve.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT AND CLEARINGHOUSE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE?

It would be great to use a national AMBER Alert program so states could more quickly share alerts.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE.

It was amazing to be a part of the February 2016 AMBER Alert for four-year-old Maci Lilley. She was abducted from a playground by John Lieba. The whole community responded to the AMBER Alert. A citizen, aware of the alert, saw Lieba and gave him a ride to the nearest law enforcement officer. The suspect initially refused to cooperate, but later told investigators he had strangled Maci. He drew a map to where he left her body in an abandoned vehicle parked within an old grain silo. Officers found the vehicle and were relieved to discover she was alive. Lesson learned—never give up!

PLEASE DESCRIBE ANY WORK WITH TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TRIBAL CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMS IN YOUR STATE.

Every child is important to us. We do not treat tribal children any differently. The same applies to tribal law enforcement agencies. They are treated with the same respect as any other law enforcement agency in Montana. If a tribal agency requests an AMBER Alert or Missing Endangered Person Advisory, and the circumstances meet the alert criteria, the alert is issued. Our strongest relationships with tribal law enforcement agencies occur when that agency has a Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN) terminal. Tribal agencies without a CJIN terminal often work with us through a local sheriff’s office, but we will take the call from any of them at any time. We are very fortunate because some of our tribal law enforcement agencies cross-deputize with the sheriff’s office and have strong partnerships. We have found it is important to visit tribal agencies in person when you can. One of the challenges we face is staff turnover at tribal agencies and changes in management control (Bureau of Indian Affairs vs. tribal). It can be hard to keep current contacts. My goal would be for tribal agencies to know the state AMBER Alert program is here to serve them and all they need to do is call if they need us.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR AND CLEARINGHOUSE MANAGER, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

I have been very fortunate that every missing child I have done an alert for has been located, although sadly four of them were deceased. I am driven to ensure when we issue an alert that the public gets it quickly and it has the most accurate and complete information possible.

Stacey Pearson has been with the Louisiana State Police for 18 years and works out of Lafayette. She has been the manager of the Louisiana Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children (LACMEC) since 2012 and the state AMBER Alert Coordinator since January 2015.

Pearson is a third generation law enforcement officer, and has served as a uniform trooper, narcotics agent, and criminal investigator. She was also the supervisor on a task force investigating the deaths of the “Jeff Davis 8,” the unsolved murders of eight women in Jefferson Davis Parish.

Pearson conducts and coordinates crimes against children investigations and works as a police composite sketch artist. In 2016, she founded The Pelican Project, a charitable foundation working with families of missing, abducted and exploited children who are in need of reunification assistance.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR AND CLEARINGHOUSE MANAGER, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

My work on the Jeff Davis 8 case and my duties as Clearinghouse Manager and AMBER Alert Coordinator are instrumental in my commitment to help children. It is my goal to continue to develop and provide training in Louisiana and nationally to move this good work forward.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR AMBER ALERT AND CLEARINGHOUSE PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE YOUR PROGRAMS SUCCESSFUL?

Our Clearinghouse and AMBER Alert programs are not unique; however, we do strive to provide any and all assistance needed to law enforcement agencies conducting missing child/person investigations. Through a vast network of contacts, the LACMEC and the Louisiana Fusion Center are able to communicate and coordinate the response to critical missing children as well as child trafficking investigations.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT AND CLEARINGHOUSE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE?

My vision for the future is to have a website dedicated to the LACMEC and the Louisiana AMBER Alert programs with photographs of missing children available to the public for viewing, searching and sharing. I would also like to provide links to National Center

for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) training resources on this website as well as safety tips. I also have a goal to create a Louisiana Missing Persons Day.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SUCCESS STORY IN WORKING A MISSING CHILD CASE.

Two cases stand out the most:

An alleged California sex offender and a woman were found in Louisiana with four missing children, ages four, six, seven and eight. The suspects were arrested at a convenience store and the children were found inside his car dirty and hungry. The couple fled California to help prevent the man from being arrested for sexual acts involving a minor.
A couple from Shreveport, Louisiana, were arrested in Arizona after allegedly abducting two boys, ages seven and two. The couple allegedly committed a bank robbery after they took the children.

Sometimes our “successes” on the surface are in reality very tragic. The elation that is felt when a child is recovered can quickly be replaced with anger, grief and disgust at the circumstances the children were taken; how they lived and the circumstances they were rescued from. The reality that no one person can “fix” the situation takes its toll. There is no magic wand.

NATIVE AMERICAN GIRL’S DEATH MAY SAVE COUNTLESS LIVES

All eleven-year-old Ashlynne Mike and her nine-year-old brother Ian did was accept a ride home from their school’s bus stop in Lower Fruitlands, Arizona. When it was over, Ashlynne had been raped and murdered and her brother Ian was left wandering in the desert.

On October 27, 2017, 27-year-old Tom Begay Jr. was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the brutal crimes that are prompting massive changes in the way child abductions are handled in Indian Country.

At the sentencing hearing, Ashlynne’s mother, Pamela Foster, spoke about the heartbreak she felt when she found out her two children were missing.

“My world spun so fast I fell to my knees and cried,” she said in court. “I prayed like I have never done before and I cried for my children and for their safety, and for some kind of clue that they would both be found unharmed and alive, and my tears have never stopped flowing since. Anger, worry and fear set in immediately, and to my heartache I watched the minutes turn into hours. We went into a panic, wondering and being frightened for the children.”

She learned that evening her son Ian was alive but Ashlynne was still missing. “Where could my precious baby be? We were full of questions that no one had answers,” said Foster. “The next afternoon our precious daughter Ashlynne’s lifeless body was found. I was devastated. How could my sweet baby be gone?”

“We are grateful he admitted to doing what he did so that we can have closure in this chapter,” said Gary Mike, Ashlynne’s father. “Tell your children you love them.”

Jim Walters, Program Administrator for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and the original Liaison for the AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative, attended the hearing.

“With everyone else in the courtroom, I cried as she spoke of the two children reaching out and touching hands; afraid and helpless,” said Walters. “The family will never be whole and the pain will never end.”

The tragedy began on May 2, 2016, when Begaye drove 45 minutes from his home to a remote area of the Navajo Reservation to watch children getting off the school bus.

After offering Ashlynne and Ian a ride home, Begaye stated that he took the children to a remote spot near Shiprock Peak; raping, beating and strangling Ashlynne, and then leaving her, still breathing, in the desert.

Begaye released Ashlynne’s brother, who walked for miles before a motorist picked him up. However the driver could not get cell phone reception in order to call 911. An AMBER Alert was not issued until the following morning.

Immediately following the abduction, the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) partnered with the Navajo Nation to provide technology support, and additional training and technical assistance to support the full development of an AMBER Alert Plan for the Navajo Nation. This plan includes agreements between New Mexico, Arizona and Utah, with all of the states committing their assistance to the Navajo Nation in issuing and managing AMBER Alerts.

Senators John McCain of Arizona and Tom Udall of New Mexico also introduced the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2017 which would expand the AMBER Alert child abduction warning system on Native American reservations by clarifying that Indian tribes are eligible for Department of Justice (DOJ) grants that help assemble AMBER Alert systems for tribal law enforcement

agencies. Under current law, that funding is only available to states. This bill would provide America’s 567 federally recognized tribes with the ability to develop AMBER Alert programs with their state and regional partners.

“This tragedy reminds us that we need to do more to protect our children from predators,” said Udall. “We need to use every tool available to ensure that these appalling events do not repeat themselves.”

In 2018, the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program will hold a series of regional training programs for tribal communities to assist in developing AMBER Alert programs and improving their ability to respond to endangered missing and abducted children.

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program will also work with NCMEC, state AMBER Alert Coordinators and Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers to provide training, technical assistance and policy development to increase the number of AMBER Alert plans in tribal communities.

“The tragedy of Ashlynn’s case highlights the need for comprehensive child abduction recovery plans on tribal lands,” added Walters. “No community is immune from the predators who would take a child and commit such a terrible crime. Our tribal, state, local and federal partners must work together to insure that Native American children enjoy the same protections, resources and efforts as those in the cities and counties around the country.”

Walters said what happened to Ashlynne sends a call to action to anyone involved in the AMBER Alert program, especially to those who work with Native American communities.

“We should be dedicated to making sure that communities are prepared to respond to the unimaginable and that they are equipped with the very best training and resources,” said Walters. “We should all be committed advocates for these families and their lost children; and to doing our part to help bring home the missing.”

Ashlynne’s mother also has hope her daughter’s death will prevent other parents from sharing the same experience.

“This is a nightmare we can never wake from and it pangs my very soul in knowing he gratified himself in brutally assaulting my daughter,” said Foster. “This monster terrorized my angel and caused a paramount of pain upon her and it breaks my heart and angers me that the last living thing she saw was him and looking into his evil eyes.

“This monster desecrated our traditions and cares not of others and knows nothing of the value of life,” she said. “We just lost a future leader and a great one and she was to carry on our traditions.”

With resolve, Ashlynne’s mother emphasized for the judge and everyone in the court that she will still keep the traditions of beauty, balance, order and harmony practiced by the Navajo, holding life to be precious and sacred.

“Although she is no longer physically with us we thank God that a piece of her lives in all of her siblings and my hugs are just a little bit longer. As survivors no amount of justice, restitution and praying will ever bring our daughter back. Our baby is now in the spirit world never to be hurt again and by the grace of God this monster has finally admitted to his crime.”

Representatives from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are working to make sure the AMBER Alert systems in their countries and bordering areas work seamlessly when cross-border child abduction cases occur. The 2017 AMBER Alert Symposium included a panel discussion about what is being done to return abducted children who are taken across a national border.

Blanca Margarita Niebla Cárdenas is the director of the National AMBER Alert program in Mexico. She worked with the AATTAP Southern Border Initiative to start the child abduction alert in Mexico in 2012. She said AMBER Alerts are saving lives in Mexico because everyone cooperates.

“We try to create an AMBER Alert culture so it is contagious and everyone is involved in finding children,” said Cardenas. “We are committed to families who are suffering because their child is missing.”

Mexico issues local, regional and national AMBER Alerts. The one noticeable difference in Mexico’s program is that AMBER Alerts are issued only for children under age 16.

Canada has had AMBER Alert programs in all of its provinces since 2002. In 2009, Canada created a national AMBER Alert working group to provide more coordination, training and technology for all agencies. A protocol was also created to work with all U.S. border-states.

Julie Morel is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal with the National Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Division. She would like to streamline the process when Canada contacts the U.S. about a cross-border child abduction case. “We are working to have a better system so we have a one-stop number for Canada available, so these lead agencies can be more closely involved.”

Maranda Everson, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Border Patrol Agent, agreed cooperation with Canada and Mexico is key to resolving child abduction cases quickly. She said her Mexican and Canadian counterparts have been great at inspecting all vehicles entering and leaving the country.

Stacy Pearson is the Louisiana Missing Persons Clearing House Manager and AMBER Alert Coordinator. Even though Louisiana is not a border state, she said she has had numerous missing person cases from Canada - even though the state is closer to Mexico. “We do not pay attention to borders,” said Pearson, emphasizing that all cases are given swift attention. “We are all going to work together and establish our own recovery railroad to return children home.”

INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL ABDUCTIONS

More parents kidnap their children from the U.S. than any other country in the world, according to Anna McGahuey, an officer with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues. The State Department received reports of 446 parental abductions involving 629 children during 2016; yet McGahuey believes the number is much higher.

“That is a lot of children but it is likely two or three times that many because parents do not know about us,” said McGahuey.

The U.S. and 82 other countries follows the Hague Convention’s standards of practices for custody cases. McGahuey spoke about the important features of the Hague Convention, noting rules recognizing the child’s habitual residence rather than a sole focus on citizenship.

“If a non-documented person calls our office we will help them,” she said. “In this office, citizenship is blind. Whatever works to recover the child is important to me.”

REACTION FROM INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS

AMBER Alert partners from Canada and Mexico said the symposium offered an invaluable experience. Winnipeg Police Service Sergeant Darryl Ramkissoon said he will take valuable lessons home. “I would like to build a better working relationship with other organizations in Canada,” he said. “We need to break down the borders like the U.S. has done in their states.”

Andrea Scott is a Detective and also works for the Winnipeg Police Service. “It is great to learn we all have similar issues but that we are all working together with the same goal, which is bringing kids home and preventing them from going missing.”

Blanca Margarita Niebla Cárdenas said the symposium was a very important way to meet with her counterparts in the other countries. “My objective is that we have a clear path to communicate with the U.S. and Canada,” said Cardenas. “We want to work like there are no borders.”

On June 6, 2017, a 14-year-old girl with a history of suicide attempts and other mental health problems went missing in Georgia. The Gordon County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office received a call at 11 a.m. from the girl’s mother and reported she saw her daughter the night before, but she was gone when she went to look for her in the morning.

Detectives discovered surveillance video of the girl at a hotel in Calhoun, Georgia. They also learned she left with an adult male and female she had met through social media in a blue 2017 Subaru Impreza. The Sheriff’s Office contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) about the alleged kidnapping and the possible issuance of an AMBER Alert.

“I was worried for the welfare of the child and began reviewing what else could be done to recover her,” said Georgia AMBER Alert Coordinator Brad Parks.

“I was also concerned about the mental health of the victim and the fact adults traveled from outside the state to remove her from her medical care,” added Georgia Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager Emily Butler.

Georgia issued an AMBER Alert at 4:30 p.m. on June 6, 2017. The alert updated notified law enforcement, media and social media platforms, and was posted on transportation signs. Data on the suspects’ vehicle was also placed into license plate recognition cameras.

The GBI also asked the Tennessee Bureau of Identification (TBI) to issue an AMBER Alert, as the agency had cell phone information indicating the victim and suspects were traveling to that state.

Tennessee AMBER Alert Coordinator Margie Quin explained that Tennessee, under its AMBER Alert plan, is able to issue an alert for another state after answering two questions: “It has to meet our criteria,” she said. “There also has to be a nexus to Tennessee; we have a reason to believe they are here, or coming here.”

The Loudon County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Department began pursuing the suspects’ vehicle after they spotted a reckless driver. At 10:30 p.m., the 14-year-old victim was found safe in the vehicle with no injuries. Deputies took the female driver and male passenger into custody.

“I think anytime a child is found quickly after an AMBER Alert is issued, that is evidence the system works,” said Quin.

Everyone involved in this case believes cooperation and relationships were key factors in making this AMBER Alert work.

“The TBI and GBI have really close relationships. We work together and we meet with each other,” added Quin. “This is not just a telephone relationship. When you have a critical relationship, it is not going to take an hour to find the right person to talk to and get things done really quickly.”

“The aspect of established contacts with individuals within state agencies is priceless,” added Parks. “It is important to have the ability to directly contact the people who can respond without any ‘red tape’ or lag time.”

Parks and Quin urge all AMBER Alert partners to get to know their counterparts in other states. “Do not wait to establish working relationships with surrounding states,” said Parks. “Have those numbers, names and processes ready and accessible.”

“Know who to call,” added Quin. “Time saves lives.”

“The TBI and GBI have really close relationships. We work together and we meet with each other. This is not just a telephone relationship. When you have a critical relationship, it is not going to take an hour to find the right person to talk to and get things done really quickly. Know who to call. Time saves lives.”

-Tennessee AMBER Alert Coordinator Margie Quin

“The aspect of established contacts with individuals within state agencies is priceless. It is important to have the ability to directly contact the people who can respond without any ‘red tape’ or lag time.”

-Georgia AMBER Alert Coordinator Brad Parks

It took only a few minutes for 10-year old Ashton Fish to express for everyone at the 2017 AMBER Alert Symposium, through both word and dance, why everything possible must be done to protect missing and abducted children in Indian Country.

“I want to be the voice for all the Indian children,” said Fish. “I want the AMBER Alert to be on the reservation so none of our children can go missing, no one can steal our children and we won’t be afraid to walk in the dark.”

The young man then performed a traditional dance for all missing children. Fish first became aware of the issue of for Native American children when he heard about the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike on the Navajo Reservation in May 2016. Fish created a YouTube video to perform a dance in honor of Ashlynne Mike and to plead for all parents to watch over their children.

“I have been called by the Spirits to come around here and dance for Ashlynne Mike and all the other stolen kids,” said Fish on the video. “I dedicate this song for all the children, the aunts who are sad. Aho!”

Fish is a member of the Assiniboine Nation and traveled from Blackfoot, Idaho, to speak and dance at the symposium. His grandmother, Kristen Lowdog, said her son’s dancing is a good way for Native Americans to combat this problem because it involves their own culture and ways.

“He is very spiritually mature and voices his opinion out,” said Lowdog. “He has a big heart and he wants to do what he can to help.”

The artistry of Ashton’s expression of dance, combined with the wisdom of his words and vision for AMBER Alert’s protection of children on tribal lands, left symposium participants eager to meet this young man and shake his hand following the presentation.

Ashton and his grandmother presented AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Administrator Jim Walters with a handmade ceremonial quilt in honor of his work with AMBER Alert and Child Protection in Indian Country.

CHALLENGES IN INDIAN COUNTRY

AATTAP director Jim Walters has been working for years to help bring training and resources to Indian Country. Although much has been accomplished, he said most tribes do not have what is needed to slow the tide of missing and abducted children from their communities.

“Child abductions are down in the U.S. with one exception, and that is in Indian Country,” said Walters. “Children in Indian Country are especially vulnerable.”

Walters emphasized the problem of lacking data on missing and abducted children from tribal lands, noting the actual numbers are unknown because no federal or Native American agency is collecting that information.

Walters cited the murder of Ashlynne Mike as a tragic example of the challenges being faced in Indian Country. When Ashlynne was first discovered missing on May 3, 2016, her brother ran two-and-a-half miles to find a car with a phone—but the phone did not work. Twelve hours into the investigation, authorities were still unclear whether the state or the tribe should issue an AMBER Alert.

“Our priority is to save lives,” said Walters. “We can work out the jurisdictional issues later.”

The Navajo Nation is now working with Arizona and Utah to improve the AMBER Alert program on the reservation.

Walters offered other examples of unique challenges in Indian Country.

The unique history of cultural intervention and jurisdictional complexities
High turnover and lack of staffing
Lack of understanding of Indian Child Welfare laws
Use of the internet to lure Native American children away from their homes, yet these children are most often reported as runaways

Ashlynne Mike’s case did bring to light one very strong feature of Native American communities - they have the best trackers in the world. Walters gave examples of the superior skill and coordination tribal law enforcement and community members demonstrate when conducting searches. He discussed other child protection efforts and collaborative approaches that can help make a difference in Native American community efforts to prevent child exploitation and abduction.

Needs assessments should and will continue to be conducted in more than 100 Native American communities
State and community strategies with strong leadership from the tribal government must be developed
Child Abduction Response Teams (CARTs) comprised of tribal, state and federal agencies should be championed, developed and maintained
Prevention education in elementary schools and additional training for law enforcement should be developed as a key component of a comprehensive child protection strategy

“Children are a precious resource,” said Walters. “We have to take a tribal approach where every member is responsible for the community. We want to assure the victim’s family and community that all resources are utilized in the successful recovery of a child.”

More information about child protection resources available for Indian Country can be found at the Tribal Database website – https://www.tribaldatabase.org.

Shea Reliford has overseen the Indiana Clearinghouse for Missing Children & Missing Endangered Adults since September 2016. He is also a First Sergeant with the Office of Intelligence and Investigative Technologies and serves as the Administrative Officer for the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center. He began his career with the Indiana State Police in 2006. Previous duties include serving as a state trooper, police academy counselor and instructor, human resources sergeant, field training officer, recruiter, emergency vehicle operations instructor and background investigator.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert and Clearinghouse program, and what do you think helps make your program(s) successful?

The Indiana Clearinghouse is a section of our Fusion Center. When an AMBER Alert is requested, all resources necessary are deployed whether or not an AMBER Alert is actually activated. This includes analytical support from the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center, Public Information Office, Cybercrime & Investigative Technologies Section, Indiana Crimes against Children, K-9 and additional investigators and officers.

Our success is due to close relationships between the personnel involved with the decision making around an AMBER Alert. Our procedures and request forms are on our website for quick access. We educate law enforcement to call the clearinghouse as soon as possible and we can assist them with an AMBER Alert or any missing person situation.

What challenges do you face in maintaining the effectiveness and strength of your Clearinghouse program?

Our number one issue is missing persons not being entered into NCIC immediately. Because AMBER Alerts do not occur frequently, agencies, officers and dispatchers are likely finding themselves involved with an alert for the first time; this inexperience with AMBER Alerts can sometimes cause a delay. We prefer agencies call us as soon as possible so we can assist them from the start to speed up the process.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert and Clearinghouse programs in the future?

I would like to see a nationwide platform where other states can communicate with each other, and with a push of a few buttons all processes needed for an AMBER Alert to happen can be performed at the same time. Currently we use about five different entities to carry out all of the functions, including emails, phone calls and other software programs.

Please share details about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert and operations of the Clearinghouse support the outcomes? What were the most important lessons learned?

We activated the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) for the first time in September 2016, and law enforcement and the public were energized and very supportive in finding missing children. We also learned there would be backlash no matter what you do. We received questions such as whether it is necessary to activate AMBER Alerts statewide or in the middle of the night. However, our goal is to bring missing children home safely and we have better success if we notify the public by all means available.

How have your career and life experiences, including your work as a Clearinghouse Manager, strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing and abducted children?

With the first AMBER Alert in which I was involved, both of the children were killed. I am committed to doing everything within my power to prevent that from happening again.

Nicole Morell has worked for the Massachusetts State Police for 21 years and became the state’s AMBER Alert coordinator in 2007. Sergeant Morell also worked with the Missing Persons Clearinghouse for three years. She previously worked as a detective for the Worcester County State Police Detective Unit and investigated major crimes, including the disappearance and murder of Molly Bish. Sergeant Morrell also worked as an undercover narcotics detective.

What is unique to your AMBER Alert and Clearinghouse program, and what do you think helps make your programs successful?

One of the unique aspects of our program is the cohesive partnership between the New England states and the importance these states place on holding annual meetings to build and maintain strong relationships among the coordinators. They allow each agency to gain knowledge and experience through past issued alerts and review of AMBER Alert plans and criteria.

Due to the cohesiveness of the Northeastern states; all states agreed that when an alert is confirmed or credible evidence exists that a suspect has crossed into another state, there will be no time delay in issuing the alert.

In terms of our partnership with media, our program met with the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association a few years ago to discuss best practices for an activation. As a result of the communication and understanding built from that effort, the media has not prematurely announced an alert and waits for our office to send them a press release advising them an alert has been activated.

Since the passing of the Missing Person/AMBER Alert legislation, I have been a sitting member of the Missing Persons Task Force Committee. The task force discusses ways to improve missing person (juvenile) investigations.

What challenges do you face in maintaining the effectiveness and strength of your AMBER Alert and Clearinghouse programs?

Funding and lack of manpower.

What would you like to see happen with your AMBER Alert and Clearinghouse programs in the future? What is your vision for the programs?

Combine all AMBER Alert and Clearinghouse programs. When the agencies are unified, they have so much more potential in helping to resolve missing children cases.

Please share details about your most memorable success story in working a missing child case. How did the AMBER Alert and operations of the Clearinghouse support the outcomes? What were the most important lessons learned?

A homicide occurred in July 2011 in upstate New York. The New York State Police did not activate immediately but requested Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut to activate, which they did. During the after-action meeting, we discussed the importance of the requesting agency agreeing to activate as well. While an alert is not normally activated to locate a suspect wanted for fleeing from a crime scene, the requesting agency should issue an alert for several reasons: the abductor is the suspect in a homicide; the chance of a child being harmed or murdered is heightened; and the child is considered to be in danger due to the police search, which could result in a motor vehicle pursuit or violence when the suspect is located.

How have your career and life experiences, including your work as an AMBER Alert Coordinator and Clearinghouse Manager, strengthened your commitment to helping endangered, missing and abducted children?

Since the Massachusetts AMBER Alert program’s inception in 2002, we have maintained a 100 percent success rate. I credit this to the investigative knowledge of our team, which consists of one full-time and two part-time coordinators with 30 years of collective investigative experience. Our team also has seven detective captains and majors from our Division of Investigative Services. Our team understands the importance of acting quickly but effectively to recover our most vulnerable population.

A mother was carrying groceries into her home when a teenager jumped into her white SUV and sped off. The vehicle was running, the keys were still in the ignition and her 11-month son was still strapped in his car seat. The Baltimore, Maryland, Police Department got the call at 1:30 p.m. on October 26, 2016.

Police officers originally reported the case as a carjacking because of a language barrier with the mother. They soon found out about the child inside the vehicle.

Sergeant Deborah Flory of the Maryland State Police is also the state’s AMBER Alert Coordinator. She was in a parking lot and headed to an interview on an unrelated case when she received information about the abduction and AMBER Alert request at 2:05 p.m.

“My partner and I always have our laptops with wireless routers ready so we are able to get an AMBER Alert out without delay from our vehicles,” said Flory. She quickly determined the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert: the victim was under the age of 18 and police had verified the abduction; the carjacking showed the child was in danger and descriptive information was available for the public about the suspect, victim and vehicle. The AMBER Alert was issued at 2:34 p.m.

“I am always on pins and needles until I find out the child has been located and I can cancel the alert,” said Flory.

The AMBER Alert was distributed to all law enforcement agencies and media in Maryland, including the state’s Coordination and Analysis Center, Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons, Highway Administration and Lottery. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was also notified. The alerts were posted on social media, highway signs, toll booths and cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). The vehicle’s license plate was also entered into the state’s license plate reader program.

Charlmaine Wilson and Omar Parrine were walking along the street when they received the AMBER Alert on their cell phones; they spotted a toddler matching the alert description in his car seat on a sidewalk next to a porch.

“It’s cruel, unbelievable and don’t make sense,” said Wilson to WJZ-TV. “I thought it was a doll baby but when I went towards the house, it was a real baby.”

“The baby was kicking, crying and screaming,” said Parrine. “I usually don’t take this way home from school but something told me to take this way today. It’s a blessing.” Police recovered the child at 4:00 p.m. and the AMBER Alert was canceled 5 minutes later. The baby was unharmed, but taken to the hospital as a precaution. The stolen SUV was located and the suspect was taken into custody.

Flory felt relief when the child was found and is thankful for the 2 young people who responded to the alert. “That is what makes the AMBER Alert system work,” she said. “The alert is reaching everyone and they did their part.”

She also credits the Baltimore police officers for acting quickly. “They made the decision and requested the alert within 30 minutes after the child went missing,” said Flory “This is key for recovering a child.”

Maryland’s AMBER Alert program started in 2003 and Flory has been the coordinator since the beginning. She shares duties on the Child Recovery Unit with Corporal Chris Heid. They also oversee Silver Alerts, critical Missing children cases, parental abductions and cases involving juvenile victims of human trafficking for the Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force.

During the past 14 years, Maryland has received 160 requests to issue AMBER Alert, approving activation of alerts in 39 cases. Flory and her team work hard to swiftly yet carefully make decisions in these cases, making sure AMBER Alerts are used when the required information is available, and then issuing an alert so the public can help bring the child home safely. Flory has this simple advice for everyone else involved with AMBER Alerts: “Be prepared.”

Craig Burge works for the Illinois State Police (ISP). He has been the state AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Person Clearinghouse Manager since 2011. He started his career with the ISP working on sex offender registration and management. His experience with providing sex offender information with the legislature and the public prepared him in his mission to promote child safety.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE YOUR PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL?

Our AMBER Alert program is simple and effective. Law enforcement, broadcasters and the public want a program that is easy to comprehend. We have one alerting system with the same criteria since its inception so everybody is familiar with how it works. What makes our program so successful is our AMBER Alert partners and their dedication to child safety. We have an AMBER Alert Task force that is made up of various agencies, entities and associations that really want to help with spreading the word about an abducted child. We have a tremendous relationship with the people at the Illinois Broadcasters Association who dedicate their airwaves for AMBER Alert messages and child abduction safety issues. The support the AMBER Alert program receives from these partners is what makes our program a success.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM?

As the AMBER Alert program evolves, it must grow and change with the times. People are always finding new ways to get their information. The AMBER Alert program must utilize the newest social networks and technologies to provide the public with information through the platforms they are using to access their news and alerts. It is always a challenge to find the appropriate funding and resources necessary to stay on top of the technology advances. Our AMBER Alert program is a privately funded program. No state resources are appropriated for its use. That makes building relationships with private agencies and organizations extremely important.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE PROGRAM?

I would like to see the AMBER Alert program be connected in every state. I would like to see a day when an AMBER Alert is issued in Illinois, and if we need that Alert to be released in another state, it can be done in a matter of minutes. Child abductions are not bound by geographic borders and neither should AMBER Alerts. The hope is one day all states will be connected to the same system which will allow AMBER Alerts to be sent out seamlessly across state lines. When time is of the essence, we need this quick connection with other states.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE AMBER ALERT SUCCESS STORY.

It was September 2012. A 3-week-old child was discovered by a farmer and his wife because they heard the AMBER Alert and decided to go out and look for the child. The child was left on the side of the road in a rural area, but the farmer was able to hear the faint cries of the child as he was driving along in his diesel pickup truck. It is a truly amazing story with an outcome that still brings a smile to my face.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

I have been in law enforcement for almost 18 years, mostly dealing with child safety issues. I can tell you there is no better feeling you can have in your law enforcement career than to return a child home safely. It is a feeling that makes everything worth it.

Margie Quin was promoted in 2007 to Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) which included duties as the state AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Person Clearinghouse Manager. She also began working on human trafficking cases in 2010. Quinn specialized in electronic surveillance for drug cases when she started with TBI in 1998. Prior to joining TBI, Quinn served for 5 years with the Cobb County, Georgia, Police Department.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE YOUR PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL?

The Tennessee AMBER Alert program has been successful from its inception because of the great partnerships that were formed at the beginning. The Tennessee broadcasters, Department of Transportation and the National Weather Service were instrumental in building a great partnership that elevated the credibility of the initiative statewide. For the last 10 years, Tennessee has tried to stay on the cutting edge of child abduction response. We certified our Child Abduction Response Team (CART) program in 2009, the fourth team in the country to achieve certification. We have re-certified every year since. We also continue to train and work with local agencies to improve the immediate and initial response to missing children incidents. The state has gone from averaging 10-12 activations per year to 5-6 per year over the last 2 years. We believe this is because of the efficiency in response at the local level.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE IN MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STRENGTH OF YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM?

The challenges in maintaining the effectiveness of the AMBER program are technical and environmental. The technical challenges continue to evolve as technology improves. The quick notification to the public is still the key to recovery in so many cases. That being said, AMBER, along with other alerts, must compete for the attention of the American public. In this technology age, peoples’ attention is often divided between numerous things and across a wide array of devices. Capturing the public’s undivided attention is the great challenge in 2017 and beyond.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH YOUR AMBER ALERT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE?

The program should continue to evolve and change with “the times.” I would like to see the program devote more time to training and awareness in 2017.

PLEASE SHARE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE AMBER ALERT SUCCESS STORY.

In 10 years, there have been so many cases. One stands out recently that was a case out of Knoxville, Tennessee. A woman was murdered by her estranged husband and he took their 3-year-old child. He used her ATM card in Ohio, and within 45 minutes, Ohio activated its system and a citizen quickly called about being behind the suspect’s vehicle. In that case, the AMBER Alert activation directly resulted in the recovery of the child. It worked in the exact way it was designed to work.

HOW HAVE YOUR CAREER AND LIFE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING YOUR WORK AS AN AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR, STRENGTHENED YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING ENDANGERED, MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN?

How has it not? That might be easier to answer. If we aren’t out here working for the kids, who are we working for? There is no more vulnerable population than children. They are also our most precious resource. We must continue to do all that we can to protect kids in this country.

A yearlong study on sex trafficking in Las Vegas found the majority of victims were teenagers under the threat of violence from their perpetrators---and more than half of all underage victims were never reported missing. The results of the study have broad implications for the AMBER Alert program because law enforcement and others may never be notified for many abducted children in extreme danger.

The Arizona State University Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research conducted the study with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) on all sex trafficking cases in 2014. The study included 190 victims in 159 separate sex trafficking cases. The findings were presented in Las Vegas on February 13, 2017.

“Law enforcement has not let researchers in to do this type of study before,” said Domique Roe-Sepowitz, Director of ASU’s Sex Trafficking Intervention Research Office. “We saw pictures, read interviews, found strengths and ways we could do things better.”

Roe-Sepowitz and her team of researchers found two-thirds of the sex trafficking victims were minors ranging in age from 12 to 17. The average teenage victim was 16 years old. One in five victims was brought to Las Vegas from out of state, mostly from California.

THE LAS VEGAS EXPERIENCE

The Las Vegas metropolitan area has a population of two million people, yet experiences an additional transient population of 42 million visitors annually. LVMPD Captain Sasha Larkin said officers are building relationships with casinos, hotels, churches and members of the LGBT community to raise awareness of the problem, increase the capacity for businesses and individuals to assist in identifying and reporting suspected trafficking, and to better equip all involved to do their part in helping sex trafficking victims.

“We take this personal,” said Larkin. “It is our responsibility for all of us in the community to take it personal. What if we raised awareness in the community so there were never victims in the first place?”

The study found less than a quarter of victims and less than 20% of minor victims were willing to cooperate with law enforcement.

“There are those who believe what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas,” said Kevin McMahill, LVMPD Undersheriff. “This is not the case for human traffickers. Human trafficking doesn’t stay here. It is brought here to live off the suffering of others and we have to stop it.”

McMahill noted many of the victims who were not reported missing were in the foster care system. “Those who are already disenfranchised fall through the cracks a second time and become preyed upon again.”

Nevada authorities say the study confirms that new methods must be used to investigate and ultimately prevent sex trafficking crimes, and to better respond to the needs of victims.

“We know brain chemistry changes when a person is exposed to trauma,” said Elynne Greene, LVPMD Victim Services and Trafficking Manager. “Our typical interrogation techniques do not work. We need to engage survivors, because they will teach us how to do our job.”

Finding victims and prosecuting perpetrators can also be a challenge because prostitution is legal in some Nevada counties. Greene said decriminalization would not help because the law is often the only way to provide resources to victims.

She said they are building a 24-hour response team so investigators can get help from advocates at any time they are needed. Those advocates provide safety, support and education to victims who are reluctant to get help. “The ones who are not willing to talk need the most help,” she added.

THE LURE AND THE LOCK

The study provides insight how victims are lured into sex trafficking. The findings illustrate the luring and manipulation at play.

31.5% of victims were recruited through romantic relationships with traffickers.
29% of victims were cultivated through social media.
Victims were also approached on the street and at malls.
10% were kidnapped.

“This is not surprising, but it confirms what we heard in the field and we now have data to support it,” said Jim Walters, Program Manager for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program. “The child is relying on the trafficker for basic needs. When a young person sees this route as a way to improve their situation, then it becomes dangerous.”

The study found a “Romeo pimp” often identifies himself as a husband or a boyfriend and promises the victim a better future, protection and the finer things of life. The “Guerilla pimp” uses violence and terror to control the victim.

Sex traffickers used different types of violence to keep victims from leaving or making a report to law enforcement. The traffickers used 1 or more of the following: physical violence (56.2%), psychological violence (49.4%) and sexual violence (11.2%). A weapon was used in 13.8% of the cases.

The accounts of the brute violence suffered by sex trafficking victims are staggering; law enforcement, victim service providers with whom they work, and members of the larger Las Vegas community must increase awareness and understanding of the incredibly destabilizing impact such violence has on victims. A sex trafficking survivor at the presentation emphasized more studies need to be done to better understand and reckon with the violence caused by customers. “The closest I came to death was at the hands of a customer,” she said.

MODERN SLAVERY

Wesley Duncan, First Assistant Attorney General of Nevada, referenced a quote from William Wilberforce when he spoke with the English House of Commons in 1789 about the slave trade: “Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way but you can never again say that you did not know.”

Duncan said more than two centuries later we are still fighting slavery and we still have a duty to warn others. “This is not a third world problem, it is a first world problem,” said Duncan. “This is going on in the streets, the bars and the shopping malls. We need to break up this evil and abolish human trafficking in our lifetime.” Cindy McCain, Chair to break up this evil and abolish human trafficking in our lifetime.” Cindy McCain, Chair of the McCain Institute at ASU’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council, emphasized that public education must be part of the solution. “We need to make human trafficking and slavery part of everyday conversation. The same way we now talk about breast cancer or politics.”

McCain noted efforts underway to stop publications like Backpage from advertising sex trafficking victims and robustly promoting their exploitation. She explained the ride sharing company Uber has joined in the effort to promote awareness and identification with its drivers, citing the recent bravery and commitment of a driver who acted to identify and help rescue a young sex trafficking victim who was a rider in his vehicle. “If we think we are ahead of this, the sex traffickers are still miles ahead,” said McCain. “I have called sex trafficking victims disposable children because they vaporize.”

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Case Analysis Director Angela Aufmuth said the Las Vegas study corroborates what the Center is seeing on a national scale. “What we see repeatedly is that there are many kids being picked up in sex trafficking stings who were never reported missing,” said Aufmuth. “If you have a kid running away over and over again. Instead of thinking they are bad kids, we need to find out what are they running from and what are they running to.”

A CALL TO ACTION

The study clarifies challenges for those involved with AMBER Alert programs due to under- and non-reporting of trafficking victims; namely that trafficked children are often not reported missing, most victims are not willing to let anyone know they are in danger, and if located, most will not cooperate with law enforcement due to the manipulation and coercive control of their traffickers. Researchers found law enforcement agencies are often limited in investigating numerous, highly complex cases. Authorities also struggle to help victims from continued physical violence and psychological or “invisible violence.” Finally, prosecutors find sex trafficking cases are much more difficult to solve and win.

These findings underpin clear recommendations for forming authentic and genuine relationships with victims in order to develop trust and provide safety for them and accountability for the perpetrators. To support this transformation, researchers suggest law enforcement agencies work closely with state Missing Person Clearinghouses and domestic violence and victim service providers to help identify missing children. A victim advocate is needed for all vice or human trafficking investigations units. Additionally, a full-time cyber-investigator should be used to help monitor sex trafficking activity taking place online and through social media.

Finally, researchers say more education is needed for law enforcement, the media and the public. “We need to hold sex traffickers accountable,” concluded LVMPD Undersheriff Kevin McMahill. “We need to keep spreading the message that this is not a victimless crime and will not be tolerated in our community.”

On August 8, 2016, detectives in King County, Washington, learned of the alleged abduction of 2 boys by a suspect on his way to Chicago. Paul Brown allegedly took his 3-year-old son Chance and 1-year-old son Hunter and told their mother he would not return.

The children had been taken 3 days earlier, with Chance having a condition requiring tube-feeding and medication. Chase’s father did not have the supplies nor the training to feed him. Detectives requested an AMBER Alert be issued in South Dakota after they discovered Brown had recently made a credit card purchase in that state.

South Dakota AMBER Alert Coordinator Bryan Dockter was out of state at the time, but Bryan Gortmaker and Bonnie Feller Hagen with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were on site to take the 8:22 p.m. call.

The Washington detective called 25 minutes later and provided information from a Seattle hospital that the situation for the older boy had become dangerous and life-threatening.

“We decided to activate to try and recover these endangered children,” said Feller Hagen. “Securing the safety of the children was our number one priority.”

Photos and additional information were gathered and the AMBER Alert was issued at 10:14 p.m.

The alert was posted on the state website, emails were sent to state employees, and citizens signed up to receive alerts began receiving messaging notifications. The Emergency Alert System notified the media, National Weather Service, 511, highway signs and lottery terminals.

The state’s FUSION center sent a text and email to all law enforcement in the state and an audible message was broadcast over law enforcement radios. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children activated a Wireless Emergency Alert to reach all cell phones across the state.

“I was feeling a sense of urgency,” said Feller Hagen. “We wanted to get the information out rapidly and accurately and get the information out while people were still up and watching the evening news.”

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was also underway that night requiring a large presence of law enforcement. The popular event also resulted in large numbers of people on the road who might spot the suspect’s vehicle.

Within minutes a trucker and an Indiana sheriff’s deputy spotted the suspect’s white Pontiac with Washington license plates and called 911. Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Natasha Mendelsohn was driving home through South Dakota and said she has a habit of scanning vehicles and plates.

“I cried,” said Mendelsohn to a WTTV reporter. “It was more tears of happiness that we knew that these children were now safe.”

When she got home she shared a call to action on Facebook: “More people can help other people just by being aware of your surroundings and paying attention to what’s going on around you. And had we not taken the quick second to look at that vehicle, we may not have been able to help the way we did.”

The children were taken to a nearby hospital for medical care and Brown was arrested and charged with abuse or cruelty to a child.

“I am amazed at how quickly everything came together with the help of public and the cooperative efforts of law enforcement,” said Feller Hagen.

This was the sixth AMBER Alert issued in South Dakota since the state started the child abduction alert program in 2003. The state is now implementing the AMBER Alert LEAP portal to streamline the activation procedures and improve the time required disseminate an alert. A significant lesson learned from this AMBER Alert is how important it is to know your AMBER Alert partners in other states.

“Keep your state AMBER Alert program active and meet and test your system regularly,” said Feller Hagen. “Working together for the safety of children is the primary goal.”

Janet Turnbull is doing her best to make sure borders never get in the way of finding an abducted child. Since 2013 she has been working in Mexico City, Mexico, as a legal advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development and Training (OPDAT). Her focus is on human trafficking, which puts her at the center of making sure AMBER Alerts work in all countries.

“When a child goes missing across the border we do not want to think that is the end of the effort,” said Turnbull. “The challenge is there is not a lot of communication between the AMBER Alert coordinators in the U.S. and in Mexico.”

In May, Turnbull worked with the U.S. AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and its Southern Border Initiative to organize the Trinational Forum in Mexico City. The 2-day forum included AMBER Alert Coordinators from the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Turnbull is also supported by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, with funding from the Merida Initiative.

“What we are going for is to get AMBER Alert coordinators in Mexico, U.S.A. and Canada to see themselves as a single group of North American AMBER Alert coordinators. No borders,” said Turnbull.

At the time of the forum, investigations remained open for 75 children taken from the U.S. to Mexico, and 183 children taken from Mexico to the U.S.

The AMBER Alert began locally in the U.S. in 1996 and later developed into a nationwide initiative. Mexico’s Alerta AMBER began in 2012 when it was launched by that country’s president and attorney general. So far the Alerta AMBER has led to the safe recovery of more than 350 children in Mexico.

“One is not better but they are slightly different,” said Turnbull. “We want the training to be consistent in the U.S .and Mexico and knowing the differences between each system. Training keeps everyone on the same sheet of music. It also helps people make a connection.”

Turnbull said Mexico coordinators still rely heavily on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to confirm the right jurisdiction(s) in which to issue an AMBER Alert in the U.S. NCMEC can be reached by calling 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).

She said it is easier for U.S. law enforcement to use Mexico’s child abduction alert because it can be done with one contact with the National Mexico Alerta AMBER Coordinator Blanca Margarita Niebla Cárdenas at 011-521-555-346-2510 or via email at [email protected]. “It is one call shopping for them,” she noted.

Turnbull’s career began as a Special Agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Her investigation into drug smuggling in Columbia even uncovered an unfinished submarine in Bogota. She then got her law degree at the University Of Virginia School Of Law and began prosecuting drug traffickers and corruption cases involving public officials and police officers.

Today, Turnbull is immersed in finding trafficking victims and abducted children. This year she has been involved with solving cross-border abductions including a Florida girl found in Cancun, a baby taken from San Diego, California, to Sinaloa, Mexico, and a Brownsville, Texas, girl who was recovered after Mexico issued an Alerta AMBER at the request of U.S. authorities. All 3 cases illustrate that much can be accomplished when countries work together.

“Do not give up just because the child has gone across the border,” said Turnbull. “There are things that can be done to bring a child home.”

The Tribal Child Protection Leadership Forum and Symposium began with a traditional Native American blessing that included the words, “Oh child where are you?” The events took place in Scottsdale, Arizona, July 19-21, 2016, and included representatives from more than 25 tribes who shared lessons learned and experiences with AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers and Child Abduction Response Team (CART) members.

“We are all here with the goal of protecting children,” said Robert Listenbee, Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. “The children in Indian Country are overlooked and underserved.”

Listenbee said technology has increased the victimization and trafficking of Native American children and noted American Indian and Alaska Native children are exposed to violence more than any other minority in America.

Recognizing the Risks

Director of “Not Our Native Daughters” Lynnette Grey Bull said the biggest problem is that people do not believe sexual trafficking and exploitation is happening in Indian Country. “I have not been to a tribe where it was not happening,’ said Grey Bull. “You won’t see a pimp with a big purple hat come on to the reservation. Anywhere you see poverty, you will see trafficking.”

“Not Our Native Daughters” is a non-profit organization focusing on ending human trafficking in tribal communities. Grey Bull shared startling statistics for Native Americans.

A 50% higher rate for sexual assault for Native American women
The highest suicide, rape and murder rates for all ethnicities
14% have no education and 20 percent do not have indoor plumbing
The lowest life expectancy - between 47 and 55 years old
The highest rate of death from tragedy, accidents, alcohol and drug use

The U.S. Department of Justice found 70 percent of the violence was caused by non-Native perpetrators.

Arizona State University professor Dominique Roe-Sepowitz has also been studying the unique and critical challenges for Native American sex trafficking victims. The university’s study interviewed victims ages 13 to 42.

60% of victims’ parents never married, 59% of family members have drug and/or alcohol problems, 54% of victims ran away and 75% had family members in jail
63% of victims had been molested, 46% had been raped and 28% experienced emotional abuse
58% of victims were addicted to alcohol or drugs, with 90% taking drugs and 50% believing they drink excessively

“Trafficking victims do not leave, because they have nowhere to go, they have no income and they need shelter,” said Roe-Sepowitz. She emphasized that we need to develop a collaborative way to help Native American victims of sex trafficking.

“You can’t go anywhere without people talking about human trafficking,” said longtime human trafficking victim advocate Cindy McCain. “It used to be no one talked about it or that it even exists.”

McCain called trafficking an “epidemic as deadly as Zika or Ebola.” She said many children from the reservations are ending up in other countries. McCain added that the problem is exasperated by a culture that demeans women and children.

“Real men do not buy little girls,” McCain remarked. “Pimps are not cool. They are not ‘good-old’ boys. They are pedophiles and sex offenders and need to be treated as such.”

AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance (AATTAP) Program Administrator Jim Walters said he first learned about the problem while working as a police officer. “I remembered meeting a woman who said, ‘Give me the drugs I want and you can have sex with my daughter.’ The girl was 14.” Walters explained law enforcement at that time was just beginning to recognize and understand the problem of human trafficking and must be trained and prepared to better and more fully understand the scope and complexity of the problem in tribal communities and across the U.S.

Tribal Challenges

Tribal communities have additional barriers in prosecuting child sex abuse cases. Geri Wisner is the Tribal Prosecutor for the Pawnee Nation Court and Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Executive Director for the Native American Children’s Alliance (NACA).

“I look at our tribal codes and there is no language to deal with child sex abuse and no tribe has a law against human trafficking,” said Wisner. “If we are truly sovereign, it is our responsibility to make the laws that can be enforced so we can have justice.”

Wisner recommended taking the Native American oral tradition and writing it into law. “We cannot wait for the federal government to fix all this,” she said. “If we write it down, we can write it in our own way with our own traditions and sense of justice.”

Valerie Bribiescas is a member of the Navajo Nation and a detective with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona. She said non-Indian investigators often do not understand the culture, and as a result can offend victims who are already reluctant to talk.

“A lot of our victims go home and do not want to come back and testify,” said Bribiescas. “They do not want their families to know they are part of trafficking and want to leave it be. It is going to be difficult to get victims to come to court.”

Bribiescas challenged Native Americans to teach others about the culture so more victims can be helped.

“Our girls are being utilized over and over and that is why we have to work with outside entities,” she added. “We have to learn from each other.”

Additional Resources

The U.S. has 61 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces, yet no tribal teams. However, the White Mountain Apache tribe has created the first tribal ICAC affiliate.

Phoenix Police Sergeant Jerry Barker oversees the Arizona ICAC and has met with 19 tribes to educate members about what resources are available. He is bringing equipment, training, funding and additional manpower to help the tribes become part of the solution.

“The cases are the same on the reservation as you would see in an expensive neighborhood,” said Barker. “When we find child pornography suspects, they are in every community. The only difference is the location.”

Former Montana Law Enforcement Officer and AATTAP Consultant Derek VanLuchene urged tribal representatives to come together and make a plan, form a Child Abduction Response Team (CART), become affiliated with ICAC and assign a main contact for AMBER Alerts.

“Have conversations with the community about the overall protection of children,” he said. “Identify what you have and what you need. Knowledge is power.”

Trafficking survivor Jeri Jimenez summarized the mission ahead with a quote from former Cherokee Tribal Chief Wilma Mankiller, “We must trust our own thinking. Trust where we’re going. And get the job done.”

The Tacoma, Washington, Child Abduction Response Team (CART) is breaking new ground by investigating the rapes and murders of two girls that happened three decades ago. Michella Welch, 12, was found shortly after she disappeared on March 26, 1986, in Puget Park. Jennifer Bastian, 13, vanished from a Tacoma park on August 4, 1986, and was found 24 days later.

“I wanted to do something for the 30-year anniversaries and at the same time I knew new information could be released to the public in order to elicit new tips,” said Lindsey Wade, Tacoma Police Cold Case Detective and Assistant CART Coordinator. “These cases are well known in our area and the public is still very interested in solving the cases.”

While an AMBER Alert was not issued, the team held a press conference that received local and national attention. No canvassing or searching was needed, but the CART tip line was activated and a leads management system is being used to manage and prioritize all information. More than 125 tips have come in so far and they are still being received.

Investigators initially believed the same person killed both girls, but DNA evidence later indicated two different suspects were involved. More than 60 members of the CART are investigating new tips and re-interviewing witnesses.

“We just need to know who this person is so we either need to do something or know it is over for him and he can't hurt other people,” said Pattie Bastian in an interview with KING-TV.

Detectives have more than 2,000 possible suspects, with DNA samples collected on more than 100 of them. However, none of the samples have matched a convicted offender, so many of those sampled have been eliminated as suspects.

“Knowing we have two different suspects changed the investigations in many ways,” added Wade. “Many suspects were eliminated previously because they were not available for one of the crimes or because they were in jail or out of the area.”

The CART also used a new type of DNA testing called “phenotyping” that looks for unique or distinguishing traits. This testing makes it possible to predict elements of a person's physical appearance.

Wade suggested other CART programs may want to take on cold cases because it can strengthen skills and build experience for team members while working to bring resolution to a long-term missing case. “Using a cold case for a CART activation also allows the team to work through many of the same challenges they would face during a real-time activation with a slower pace and less stress,” she said.

Working on the cases in conjunction with an important anniversary year also proved to be an effective way to maximize media attention. With such a large response, the team also learned that social media should be carefully monitored because so many people are using the sites to share details about these cases.

In 2013, the Tacoma Police Department CART became the first team certified in Washington State. The CART covers the city of Tacoma and is made up of 12 multidisciplinary agencies. The team has been activated 4 times and team members assisted a neighboring jurisdiction with a child abduction homicide in 2014.

Wade has been with the Tacoma Police Department for 19 years. Her first abduction homicide case involved a 12-year-old girl in 2007. The suspect was arrested 4 days later and he was linked to an unsolved abduction and rape of an 11-year-old girl in 2000. The 1986 Welch and Bastian cases on which the Tacoma CART is working represent two of 156 unsolved homicides and long-term missing person cases in the state.

“I have always been passionate about solving crimes against children,” she said. “I feel they are the worst crimes imaginable, and children are truly innocent victims who deserve professional and dedicated men and women in law enforcement to seek justice for them.”

Photo of a woman (Janell Rasmussen) speaking at a table with microphone — Janell Rasmussen

Minnesota AMBER Alert Coordinator Janell Rasmussen has stepped down after setting up the state's AMBER Alert Program and overseeing the recovery of abducted children for the past 16 years. Rasmussen now serves as the Deputy Director for the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minneapolis, where she plans to continue her work in protecting children.

“This has been the most meaningful work that I have ever done,” said Rasmussen. “I can point blank say, kids are alive today because of the AMBER Alert program.”

Minnesota was the 7th state in the U.S. to implement a statewide AMBER Alert program, along with a missing and endangered persons alert through the Minnesota Crime Alert Network for cases not meeting AMBER Alert criteria.

“One of my fondest memories was the very first interstate success with Utah,” said Rasmussen. “The work between the two states in this case and the many interstate cases that followed were a direct result of the training and relationships developed for AMBER Alert coordinators.”

The case occurred in 2003, when an 11-year-old girl was abducted in Minnesota and police had information the suspected abductor was taking the child to Utah. Utah issued the AMBER Alert. A Utah State trooper monitored one of the highways likely to be used by the suspect and calculated the approximate travel time from Minnesota. Moments later the trooper recognized the vehicle based on the description in the AMBER Alert. The suspect was arrested and the child was recovered safely.

“I cannot tell you how hard it is to see Janell leave,” said James Walters, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Director. “Janell has been such an important part of the AMBER Alert program not only in Minnesota but everywhere else. She had been a vital mentor and provided guidance to AMBER Alert coordinators and Missing Person Clearinghouse managers across the country.”

Rasmussen credits the U.S. Department of Justice, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Fox Valley Technical College and her colleagues for helping make the AMBER Alert program a success. “When children were abducted, we were ready to work together to bring them home,” she said.

Man (Mark Simpson) standing at podium — Retired Texas Detective Mark Simpson

Before the AMBER Alert came into existence, a seasoned detective was determined to find the person who would abduct and kill a little girl in Arlington, Texas. On January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was snatched while riding her bicycle. Amber's abandoned body was found in an outdoor location 4 days later.

Sergeant Mark Simpson was the Task Force Supervisor for the case and worked with numerous detectives and agents for months to determine how Amber could be taken in broad daylight without anyone noticing. He also began working with broadcasters, law enforcement officers and members of the public to develop an alert that could be used when a child is abducted.

“Although we truly believed it would be a powerful tool, our goal was to make the process of issuing the AMBER Alert a quick, simple exercise,” said Simpson. “The AMBER Alert is now used in all 50 states and some foreign countries. None of us thought it would ever be used beyond the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”

During his 32 years with the Arlington Police, Simpson also implemented the Department's Cold Case Homicide Team, a “No Drop Policy” for domestic violence cases, a Sex Offender Registration Program and a Gang Suppression Task Force.

Although Simpson retired in 2007, he continues to present Amber's case at trainings so other law enforcement and public safety personnel might benefit from important lessons learned in the investigation of this tragic incident, while also contributing their ideas and strategies to the ongoing effort to identify and bring Amber's killer to justice.

Amber Hagerman's abduction is one of more than 20 case studies Simpson has developed while working as a consultant for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP). While he may be soft-spoken, the detective's voice has been heard loud and clear by law enforcement officers and other public safety professionals in hundreds of training events over the past decade.

“Doing and presenting the case studies is one of the most satisfying parts of my teaching,” said Simpson. “It lets me examine not only what the criminal acts were, but also how the investigators responded to a variety of scenarios and the impact of their actions.”

“Child abduction investigations are like no other police response. The best way to be successful is to preplan some of our responses and be able to anticipate some of the challenges. Our training not only makes the student aware of what the issues are when they are faced with a child abduction, but also how to make good decisions to move the investigation forward.”

Simpson has worked diligently through his case study development and many years of investigative experience to identify trends and specific challenges for children, parents and police officers when children go missing or are abducted. He shares what has and has not worked in these complex cases, collaborating with and informing law enforcement, families and community in a relevant and understandable way that resonates with audiences across the U.S. and internationally.

“When Amber Hagerman was abducted in 1996, there was not much training available in how to prosecute the investigation,” he said. “The program is not just instructors delivering lectures, it is that special group of investigators who have done the job, learned the lessons and are able to communicate those lessons to others.”

One of the most notable attributes when you meet Simpson is his humility. Despite all of his accomplishments, he is dedicated and driven to do more to help children. Besides offering the case studies, Simpson also teaches courses on Advanced Strategies in Child Abduction Investigations; Major Crimes Investigations Teams; Advanced Cold Case and Long-Term Missing Cases; Search, Canvass, and Recovery Strategies; and “Build A Course” classes. He also assists AATTAP with important curriculum development and technical assistance projects in a number of key areas, including tribal child protection initiatives and work with survivors and their families.

“For all of us who find a calling to crimes against children; the victims and those who perpetrate atrocities against them, there is always something we fall back on as an anchor to reality. For me it is my bride of 42 years, Donna,” said Simpson. “Throughout my career, she has been the one who kept me grounded in reality, pushing me when I needed it and supporting me in every way.”

Simpson does occasionally take a break and loves to go duck hunting with “a good dog, black coffee and the sounds and smells of a new day's dawn.”

Back at work, he continues to look for ways to promote AMBER Alert initiatives and programs, and to build and strengthen awareness and knowledge through effective training and resources. Simpson takes great satisfaction in the fact that the program has been expanded to include work on understanding, identifying and responding to the rapidly growing crime of human trafficking.

“We are changing the way we look at young girls and boys that wind up engaging in prostitution and related forms of involuntary servitude,” he said. “In the past they were often identified as suspects, when in fact they too were victims who found themselves in a situation they didn't know how to escape from.”

For Mark Simpson and so many others, a vigilant focus on Amber Hagerman's case will not cease until her murder is solved. It is also likely Simpson will remain ever-focused on combatting child abduction and other crimes against children, tirelessly working to help other law enforcement officers do the same.

It started with a scuffle at the Utah Division of Child and Family Services on May 5, 2016. Christopher Montoya and Monica Martinez were “combative, threatening and agitated” because they could no longer see their two daughters. The courts had taken away the couple’s custody rights and witnesses said they appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

Suspects Christopher John Montoya & Monica Martinez

Christopher John Montoya and Monica Martinez left the agency and drove to the babysitter’s location for 3-year-old Marae Montoya and her 11-month-old sister Cynthia. The couple grabbed the two children without permission from their legal guardian and drove away in a white 4-door Cadillac sedan.

Clinton, Utah, Police Sergeant Matt Fawbush was assigned to the case after a call from the babysitter came in at 3:08 p.m. The Clinton Police Department had never issued an AMBER Alert and it was also the first time the 14-year law enforcement veteran had to consider issuing an alert.

“I tried to remain calm and rely on my training and experience,” said Fawbush. “I have been a member of the Davis County Child Abduction Response Team since 2007 and actively involved in many cases; however no prior AMBER Alerts. I also attended several training sessions in state and out of state on the topic of missing and abducted children.”

Fawbush started gathering information from family members, witnesses and investigating officers. The police department assessed the incident against the AMBER Alert criteria and determined the children were in danger for the following reasons:

The parents were believed to be under the influence of a controlled substance.
Both parents had mental health issues, violent tendencies and were transient.
The couple no longer had custody and had a no-contact court order based upon a history of domestic violence while the children were present.

“I had a sense of urgency and wanted to cover all aspects of the investigation to assure the quick and safe recovery of the children,” said Fawbush.

A Missing/Endangered Advisory went out to law enforcement at 7:43 p.m. and the statewide AMBER Alert was issued at 10:39 p.m. Fawbush also reached out to law enforcement in Colorado in case the suspects traveled through that state.

“The decision to issue the AMBER alert could have been sooner,” said Fawbush. “There were a few problems getting the alert entered and issued in a timely manner.”

A clerk at the Motel 6 in Gallup, New Mexico, recognized the suspects when the couple requested a room around 2:00 a.m. the next day. The clerk saw the AMBER Alert on social media, verified the vehicle matched the description in the alert and notified police.

“The media played a huge role in disseminating the information to the public on a large scale, which ultimately helped with the recovery of the children,” said Fawbush.

Utah AMBER Alert Coordinator Gina McNeil & Clinton, Utah, Police Sergeant Matt Fawbush

Gina McNeil has been Utah’s AMBER Alert Coordinator for nearly 3 years. She is also the state’s Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager and has been actively involved in all 43 AMBER Alerts issued by Utah. McNeil has helped to develop and strengthen Utah’s child abduction alert system since its inception in 2002.

“Any time a missing child is located safely it is a happy occasion,” said McNeil. “I think we have one of the best AMBER Alert programs in the Nation and the AMBER Alert has saved the lives of hundreds of children. There is nothing better than that.”

The Utah AMBER Alert Committee has a review with law enforcement agencies after each alert is issued. The review is a chance to find out what worked and what can be done better the next time.

“You learn from every alert and continue to improve the system each time,” said McNeil.

“Communication is the key,” added Fawbush. “Everyone involved in the process must be on the same page and work together to fine tune the procedures set in place.”

The suspects were returned to Utah and initially charged with two counts each of child kidnapping and one count of burglary. They both pleaded guilty to two counts of custodial interference. Their two children are now safe with their legal guardian.

Photo of Fairbury, Nebraska, Police Chief Chad Sprunk — Fairbury, Nebraska, Police Chief Chad Sprunk

Megan Smetter woke up on the morning of Saturday, February 20, 2016, to discover her two-month-old son Jaxon, her friend Earnest Howard, 35, and her car were missing. She reported the incident to the Fairbury, Nebraska, Police Department for help at 7:15 a.m. An officer was immediately dispatched in an attempt to locate the missing vehicle and make contact with the suspect.

The initial responding officer contacted Fairbury Police Chief Chad Sprunk at 11:15 a.m. that morning and requested additional assistance; he also requested consideration of issuing an AMBER Alert. Chief Sprunk personally called the missing child’s mother to verify that the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert.

“I was convinced it met the criteria because of the suspect’s prior drug use, violent criminal history, a previous attempted abduction of a child,” said Sprunk. “He was also not the biological father of the child, didn’t notify the mother he was taking [him] and refused to bring the child back.”

The Fairbury Police Department notified the media and law enforcement in the area about the possible abduction. The AMBER Alert was issued at 2:26 p.m.

Nebraska State Patrol Lieutenant Jeromy McCoy is the state’s AMBER Alert Coordinator. He was without his laptop when he received the call for the alert. He called another officer for help and the alert was quickly sent to the state’s electronic highway signs and broadcast via the Wireless Emergency Alert System. However, obtaining pictures of the suspect and victim required approximately 20 additional minutes before the AMBER Alert was posted to the Department’s website.

“These images were in a different format that caused our webpage to crash when we attempted to submit the AMBER Alert,” said Lieutenant McCoy. “We determined the problem and changed the format to a JPEG.”

The Fairbury Police Department has six full-time officers. The small department’s phones quickly starting ringing with tips and possible sightings of the suspect’s vehicle, including tips from Ohio, California, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. Help also started pouring in from several county sheriff’s offices, the Nebraska State Patrol, the FBI and several civilian organizations offering assistance in working tips and the investigation.

“I required everyone to contact the agency where the tip was generated,” said Chief Sprunk. “Absolutely no tip was set aside and not handled.”

This was the 18th AMBER Alert issued by Nebraska since its program began in 2002. It was the 7th alert issued by Lieutenant McCoy since he became a verification officer in 2007. He became the state’s AMBER Alert coordinator three years ago. However, it was the first alert for the Fairbury Police Department, and it added strain to AMBER Alert veterans as well as everyone who was new to the alert system.

“Obviously, you think the worst has happened to the child; however you still have hope the child is safe,” said Chief Sprunk. “It was extremely emotional not knowing what the outcome was going to be.”

“The longer an AMBER Alert goes on, the more worried I get,” added Lieutenant McCoy.

A citizen called to report the suspect’s vehicle was stuck in the mud in Fairbury. Police located and arrested Howard and the baby was taken to a local hospital. The AMBER Alert was cancelled at 6:41 p.m., about 4 hours after it was initiated.

“If I could see that person, I don’t know how I would be able to thank them,” expressed Megan Smetter in speaking to KOLN-TV about the person who provided the tip leading to Howard’s location. “I think there was more anger and fear I would never see him again.”

Howard was taken to jail and booked on charges including kidnapping, felony child abuse and making terroristic threats. His case is still pending and all suspects are presumed innocent unless they are convicted. Police said Howard also had a glass pipe used in smoking methamphetamine in his possession and could be charged at a later time with that offense.

“I do feel the AMBER Alert saved the child’s life,” said Chief Sprunk. “If the alert did not go out, the citizen who located the suspect and child would not have known about the abduction.”

The Fairbury Police Department has trained for years on the AMBER Alert system, but lessons are always learned after each alert—especially the first one.

“Time is of the essence,” said Chief Sprunk. “If there is any doubt, send the AMBER Alert out to the coordinator immediately. It was so easy and flawless working with the Nebraska State Patrol on getting the alert out.”

Nebraska also has a strong AMBER Alert committee that reviews every alert issued.

“We review problems and make changes based on input from media, law enforcement and other AMBER Alert partners,” added Lieutenant McCoy. “We have good discussions and try to make the alert process better after each one.”

Both the AMBER Alert coordinator and the police chief said this alert is further proof the AMBER Alert system is a vital tool to save abducted children.

“Children are vulnerable and can’t control their environment or circumstances they are put in,” said Lieutenant McCoy. “I do whatever I can do to protect this segment of our society.”

“Safety of the children is what motivates me,” added Chief Sprunk. “Children are helpless and fragile and it puts them in a very scary and unsafe environment.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has certified two additional Child Abduction Response Teams (CART). The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and the Pierce County, Washington, Regional CART are the latest teams to meet the rigorous standards required to join the elite ranks of certified teams across the U.S.

“Support starts at the top,” said Alan Wolochuk, CART Certification Manager. “The total commitment of the sheriff and top law enforcement leaders for both teams set a standard for all CARTs to follow. The citizens in these communities should be very proud of what has been accomplished.”

The CART certification process is very challenging, requiring teams to meet 12 standards and demonstrate proficiencies outlined across 47 sections of the AMBER Alert CART Certification Manual. The CART must conduct a mock child abduction exercise which includes scoring across areas including: CART response and AMBER Alert activation, call-intake procedures, leads management, incident command structure, resource management, information technology, legal issues, victim assistance and reunification.

In Pasco County the mock abduction utilized a mock city named “Safety Town,” a scaled down version of a small city containing a small park, residences, bank, home improvement store, streets, sidewalks and a school. This was the first certification conducted in a facility of this kind.

The mock abduction began at 9 a.m. and involved the witnessed abduction of a 10-year old female. The female was abducted while walking to a school bus stop. A witness called law enforcement and reported the incident.

“We fight as one,” said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. “Being part of the CART Certification process was extremely rewarding. It helped validate all the hard work and training we did and continue to do. Preparing for the protection of our children is one of the most important things we can do for our community. No agency can ever truly be ready for an abducted child investigation. However we are committed to being as ready as we can.”

The Pierce County Regional CART had more than 100 participants during the certification process including the sheriff’s department, federal and state investigators, police and fire departments, prosecutors, emergency management and the 911 call center.

The U.S. now has 21 certified Child Abduction Response Teams.

Photo captions: Pasco County CART certification exercise; Tacoma CART certification exercise.

Certification Is Not the End of Training for Child Abduction Response Teams

For Child Abduction Response Teams (CART), achieving certification by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, is just the beginning. Following initial certification, the CART must prepare to meet the criteria for annual recertification every year thereafter.

In January of each year, following the awarding of initial certification, the CART must be able to show completion of specified tasks and required documentation in order to maintain its certified status. Requirements for annual re-certification include:

Absent an actual CART activation, the CART is required to conduct at least one field exercise during the calendar year. The CART is required to provide a summary of each incident to include the date, circumstances of the incident, number of individuals and agencies activated, outcome and lessons learned and changes made to policy, practice, use of resources or personnel deployment or other significant changes to the CART.
Document any changes to personnel, CART leadership, participating agencies, resources and any significant changes to the CART.
Verify the CART remains in compliance with all applicable standards and certification requirements.

The required recertification forms must be signed by the CART Coordinator and CEO of the lead agency, certifying the accuracy of the information provided. The documentation is forwarded to the CART Program Director during the first quarter of each year following certification. Once reviewed and approved, the CART is notified of its recertification status.

Twenty years ago on January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas, was abducted and subsequently assaulted and murdered. The tragic events and subsequent investigation of Amber’s death sparked what has grown from a local, to nationwide and now international effort to improve and expand efforts to locate, identify and safely recover abducted children.

The case of Amber Hagerman’s abduction and murder remains unresolved. During the initial investigation, a witness reported seeing a man in a black truck grab her off her bike and drive away. Four days following Amber’s disappearance, a man walking his dog found her body in a drainage ditch in Arlington.

A local citizen, Diane Simone, called a Dallas radio station the day Amber’s body was found and asked if local broadcasters could team up with law enforcement to somehow get information out immediately following a child abduction. Dallas and Fort Worth area broadcasters began work to establish a coordinated system with local law enforcement whereby they could warn the public when a child was kidnapped and in danger. Over the two decades that have followed, the AMBER Alert system has grown through grass-roots efforts at the local, regional and state levels. AMBER Alert programs are now operating in every state across the U.S., and have been developed in other countries around the world.

The AMBER Alert system bears Amber’s name, and also stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. AMBER Alert Programs have helped bring more than 800 children home safely. “If it wasn’t for Amber, we would not have the AMBER Alert today,” Donna Williams, Amber’s mother, told reporters.

Communities across the U.S. joined in observing National AMBER Alert Awareness Day on January 13, 2016. Here is a look at key milestones achieved over the past two decades:

2002: AMBER Alerts become nationally focused and highway signs are added to the warning system. President George W. Bush names the first National AMBER Alert Coordinator.
2003: The PROTECT Act is signed into law, strengthening the ability of law enforcement and the judicial system to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and punish violent crimes committed against children.
2005: A nationwide initiative to train Child Abduction Response Teams (CART) is launched.
2011: The Southern Border Initiative implements Alerta AMBER Mexico, a national protocol to coordinate child abductions in the U.S. and Mexico.
2015: The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program launches a new Tribal Database website (www.tribaldatabase.org) to promote awareness and provide access to important child protection and human trafficking prevention resources for tribal communities.

Amber’s mother continues on bravely, with hope that her daughter’s killer will be found. “I’m not going to give up,” she said. “I still have hope that he will be caught one day.”

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) is proud to honor Mrs. Fran Keith on her retirement and to celebrate her 11 years of dedicated leadership and commitment to AATTAP staff, consultants and partners across the US and internationally. For more than a decade, Keith’s expertise, attention to detail and unsurpassed professionalism were central to building the excellence for which the program has come to be recognized. Fran’s careful and critical decision-making formed a bedrock of operations, while her tireless work with staff, partners and stakeholders fueled the program’s innovations in finding new and better ways to protect children and safely recover those who were missing and abducted.

Keith began her career as an educator in mathematics. One might wonder how a math teacher from Norfolk, Virginia, became such a pivotal member of the AATTAP. Keith moved from her work in mathematics education to serving as a crime and business analyst for the Norfolk Police Department, progressing through her 31-year career there as a division manager in planning and research and a member of the department’s senior executive team. In 2004, Keith joined AATTAP in a consultant role and soon became a program manager, providing leadership and her management expertise across all aspects and operations of the grant.

“I really did not have any personal experience with missing children,” said Keith. “I was simply fortunate enough to meet the people who worked with the program. I learned so much from the AMBER Alert coordinators and other partners and was thrilled to be able to continue in a full-time capacity.”

As the AATTAP worked to achieve the National AMBER Alert Initiative’s goal of every state and territory in the US developing an AMBER Alert program, a central focus was to develop and provide training events across the nation. Keith’s extensive background in operations management was key to executing the massive rollout of local, state and national training, conference events and related technical assistance required to achieve this significant goal.

“Since I started the improvements are too numerous to list,” said Keith. “The expanding network of partners, development of training programs and new techniques for recovery such as social media, Endangered Missing Advisories, plus the outreach to tribal communities and partners in Mexico and other countries.”

With Keith’s help, AATTAP launched and successfully delivered an aggressive schedule of training programs designed to make missing children a “mainstream” issue for law enforcement and the public. Keith provided a legacy of excellence to the program and her colleagues, effective delivery and her innovative approaches to training and technical assistance continue on.

“The work is not over and should be continued for the welfare of America’s children,” added Keith. “Our children’s soft voice should be interpreted as a cry for help when they are endangered, so my hope is enough decision makers will be vocal supporters and maintain the training programs for law enforcement and communities.”

While Keith retired, she will no doubt maintain a keen interest in what can still be accomplished though the AMBER Alert Program. She would like to see more communities develop a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) and is passionate about the program’s involvement of helping victims of human trafficking.

“So many of the victims and survivors of human trafficking were at one time abducted or kidnapped at an early age,” said Keith. “Not every survivor was abducted or reported missing, some were just ‘thrown away.’ Regardless, the vast majority are ‘missing’ and need to be rescued.”

Keith believes training law enforcement, broadcasters and all AMBER Alert partners are still needed to change policies, beliefs and practices, and will continue to represent a critical step for the U.S. to address the epidemic of human trafficking.

“Children are our most vulnerable population and if we do not rescue them and change our approaches, we will only compound the stress on all public service providers,” she said. “Many of the victims and survivors suffer from severe mental health challenges from their abduction and abuse.”

Fran and Phil Keith, former Program Director of AATTAP, recently married and now enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends. They remain strong advocates for missing and abducted children and welcome opportunities to support and advocate for the work of child protection professionals across the country and around the world.

“I have many fond memories, and most importantly the relationships developed with such wonderful people,” said Keith. “My biggest disappointment is that we still need a program to find missing and abducted children.”

Editor’s note: Despite my title, Fran Keith has been my editor for THE AMBER Advocate since its inception in 2006. She has read every word, corrected every typo, doggedly pushed for its publication and provided invaluable guidance for a publication that now reaches more than 50,000 AMBER Alert partners. “The AMBER Advocate brings real stories from the people who actually handle missing, abducted and endangered children cases and puts a face on the situations they deal with each day,” noted Keith. Personally, I will miss her but I am grateful for Bonnie Davis, who is also a skilled wordsmith, and has assumed Keith’s duties with this important publication.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office in California issued an AMBER Alert for 3 children on June 14, 2014. Nine minutes later the children were recovered safely and the suspect was in custody. A citizen saw the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) on his cell phone and looked up and saw the suspect’s blue van.

“I can’t believe right when the AMBER Alert came is right when I see the van. That was right within 5 seconds,” Gurinder Jhutty told a reporter. “My gut told me ‘Let’s go back and check it out.’ That’s when I came back and I looked at the license plate and that’s when I started calling 911 and I saw 3 kids in the back. That’s when I started following him.”

Matthew Kline allegedly took his 3-year-old daughter, 18-month-old son and an unrelated 4-year-old girl earlier in the morning. The AMBER Alert cautioned citizens to not approach the suspect because authorities believed he was carrying firearms.

Sergeant Jason Hail has spent 19 years with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and this was the first AMBER Alert for him and the agency. The sheriff’s office immediately set up a command post and a call center. Officers had an idea where the suspect was heading but did not know at the time the alert would go to all the cell phones in the area.

“I was very surprised and relieved how quickly it was resolved,” said Hail. “I was impressed and it renewed my faith by showing that people really do care and will take appropriate action.”

He also credits the AMBER Alert training he had received in the past for the positive outcome. “I learned that in order to have a smooth operation, it would be beneficial to have all of the involved parties’ information and the circumstances written down, including officer safety information and if there is an arrest warrant active or in the process,” added Hail. “We were flooded with calls in our dispatch center. I learned we need to have a sufficient amount of people on duty to handle calls from the public and assign tasks to individuals to handle the media, make contact with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and other logistics.”

California Highway Patrol Captain Jay Bart has been California’s AMBER Alert Coordinator for the past 2 years. He said it was an easy decision to realize this case was eligible for an AMBER Alert. “The children were in imminent danger because the suspect was violent and mentally unstable,” said Bart. “He was also in possession of stolen firearms and had made threats toward the children and their mother.”

The highway patrol uses a step-by-step process to initiate a chain of notifications to try and recover children during an AMBER Alert, including:

The Emergency Alert System was activated.
Changeable Message Signs were activated to display the suspect vehicle’s information on the national and state highway systems.
The suspect vehicle’s information was entered into the California Highway Patrol License Plate Reader database.
The California Lottery was contacted to display the AMBER Alert information on their display systems.
A message was posted to the California Office of Emergency Services’ Emergency Digital Information System website and it was also sent to all law enforcement agencies in California, including off-duty highway patrol officers.
NCMEC was contacted to request the WEA activation and other secondary notifications.
A flyer with information and pictures was sent to law enforcement, first responders, medical facilities, media outlets and missing persons’ organizations.

“I firmly believe our protocols aided in the success of this AMBER Alert. We are all aware time is a critical factor in cases where missing and abducted children are involved,” said Bart. “I was ecstatic to learn the suspect was apprehended in a very short time frame.”

NCMEC believes this AMBER Alert had the fastest resolution of any alert involving WEA. “This case really shows what a game changer it is to have AMBER Alerts come directly to cell phones in the targeted area,” said Robert Hoever, NCMEC’s Director of Special Programs in the Missing Children Division. “Nearly everyone is carrying a phone and we just need one person to be in the right place at the right time.”

Hail has this advice for those who have yet to issue an AMBER Alert: “I believe the most important part is to have enough staff in place to handle calls from the public,” he said. “Have individuals in place and assign those individuals responsibilities as you would with any other critical incident.”

Preparation, protocols and new technology made this AMBER Alert a case study on what works to recover abducted children.

“Factoring in the time it takes to gather information, approve the alert and activate the emergency alert system, the suspect was arrested and the victims were safely recovered in less than one hour from the activation,” concluded Bart.

Thirty survivors of losing a family member to homicide gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, to share their experiences with the hope of offering guidance on how law enforcement officers, prosecutors and others can help other families facing a similar tragedy. The Family Roundtable was sponsored by the Knoxville, Tennessee, Police Department and the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. The family members met April 18-19, 2015, and came up with specific recommendations for different professions, including the following:

Law Enforcement:

Agencies should have policies and training on how to notify survivors.
Law enforcement officials should not use murder cases for political or personal benefit.
Investigators should inform family members in a sensitive way what is needed for collecting evidence and how long the evidence may be retained.
Investigators should keep family members informed about any updates in the case once they have been cleared.

Victim Advocates:

Victim advocates should offer services immediately.
Notifications should be timely and not just consist of a phone call before a trial date.
Advocates should have adequate training and be knowledgeable about the law, the specific case, after care services, victim compensation benefits and dealing with the media.

Prosecutors:

Prosecutors should have policies and practices to help survivors know what to expect during the prosecution and appeals.
Have a policy that preserves the right to make victim impact statements.
Prosecutors must meet with survivors to discuss sentencing decisions or plea bargains.

Probation and Parole:

Survivors should be notified about conditions of probation, parole and any hearings.
Restrictions should be placed to prevent convicted murderers from contacting the family.

Media:

Use victim advocacy groups to approach editorial boards and reporters about how to prevent further harm to the survivors during news coverage.
Provide formal briefings and develop educational materials to help families deal with the media.

Courts:

Statutes are needed to ensure victim impact statements are allowed.

Event sponsored by the Knoxville Police Department, Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. April 18–19, 2015, Nashville, TN.

When James “Jim” Walters took over as the program administrator for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program in July 2014, he wasn’t exactly the new kid on the block.

For the past 10 years he had been working with the program by overseeing the AMBER Alert in Indian Country and 6 of those years he also headed the Southern Border Initiative, a program that has been working to coordinate child abduction recovery efforts in Mexico and border states in the U.S.

Walters grew up in rural east Texas and Oklahoma and decided to join the military instead of working on a farm or in the oil fields. He spent more than 35 years in law enforcement and the military including working as a military police officer in Alaska, patrol officer in southern California and command positions in northern California and Texas.

Since Walters once again lives in Texas, wearing two hats just isn’t enough. Here are a few more caps he’s still wearing:

Program Administrator for the National Criminal Justice Training Center.
Founder of a non-profit group to assist developing counties and rural U.S. areas develop safe havens for abused, exploited and trafficked women and children.
Founder of another non-profit organization that supports other non-profit organizations to develop security and protective services for free.

Despite all of his experience, Walters said it was a challenge to take over the U.S. Department of Justice AMBER Alert Program that had been overseen during its first 10 years by Phil Keith. “I was very fortunate to follow Phil in this role,” said Walters. “Not only had he developed the program, he acted as a mentor to me and others. The most important thing we learned from him was, ‘It’s about the children.’ All of the things we do are about protecting children.”

Walters said the best part of the program is the staff and consultants with first-hand experience who provide training. The program also relies on more than 100 law enforcement training academies and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for research and training.

Funding for training continues to be an ongoing problem for federal, state and local agencies. “Our challenge is to utilize the resources we have and work with them to make sure that all communities, no matter the size, status or makeup, have the ability to obtain the best training and technical assistance possible,” Walters added.

Reductions in funding mean the trainers are now going to law enforcement academies instead of flying all their officers to where the trainers are located. Other cost-saving measures include “train the trainer” programs and providing more online training.

“We also want to focus on some of the underserved communities, improving capabilities and recovery rates in minority and rural communities,” said Walters. “We are going to stick with the things that have made such an impact in the past.”

“I remembered this officer who told me how the training really helped when an AMBER Alert was issued. I believe drawing on the right resources and improving the speed and efficiency of their response can make the difference between the safe recovery of children or losing them.”

One area that will be expanded is training for a Child Abduction Response Team or CART. “CART is one of the greatest tools in the fight to save abducted children,” said Walters. “I wish more communities had them. They really make a difference in tribal, rural and minority communities where resources are scarce.”

Walters also plans to make sure two of the programs he has been personally involved in remain strong.

AMBER Alert in Indian Country

“Anyone who knows me is aware that Indian Country is where my heart is,” said Walters. “Not only from living and working in tribal communities, but because of the commitment these communities have to protect their children. The AMBER Alert in Indian Country project is one of the most gratifying projects I have ever worked on.”

Southern Border Initiative

“I was recently at a meeting with officials from Mexico and we realized more than half of those initial participants in the initiative were no longer alive. They had died in the line of duty. We seldom think about the huge risk and the courage required of our brothers and sisters across the border. It is an honor to work with them.”

In the end, Walters said family members of missing and abducted children have had the most profound impact on him and motivates him to keep working hard. “Having a family member of a missing child come up to me and thank me for the work we do. That is what it is all about.”

Tribal First Responders of the Last Frontier

Ashley Johnson-Barr: The Girl Who Changed the Conversation

Missing in Alaska: The Webinars

Ashley's Legacy in Alaska

A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

Jurisdictions, Geography, and Delays

A Community in Grief—and Action

The Work That Remains

By the Numbers

Sources: Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); compiled from multiple sources by National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

Important Days

Ashley Johnson-Barr Disappearance Timeline

ANCSA & PL280 at a Glance

Working for More Just MMIP Investigations

Former Investigation Supervisor Reflects on Early Days of Case—And Lessons for Today

Lead Investigator Now Assigned to Hagerman Case Discusses Hopes for DNA Testing—and Goal of Solving the Crime

Arlington Police Department Homicide Detective Krystallyne Robinson has been the lead detective on the Amber Hagerman case since summer 2023. We recently had the chance to ask her a few questions.

A Timeline

12 Core Components of a CART

AATTAP's Northern Border Initiative: What is it and what's ahead?

Every time a child runs away, it’s a cry for help. That child is screaming out for our help, and it’s our job to do something.

Empathy & Respect: Hallmarks of Cindy Neff's Child Protection Career

We all have a role to play in protecting our children. By working together, we can ensure that every community in Indian Country has the resources and support they need to implement AMBER Alert effectively.

Although we are many nations, we are one in this commitment.

ACTION ITEMS:

Words like ‘sovereignty’ and ‘jurisdiction’ have almost become taboo. But any child who is missing should be the priority. It doesn’t matter where the resources are coming from. Let’s locate that child.

You don’t have to do it alone. Tribes across the U.S. are willing to share what works in getting AMBER Alert in Indian Country.

When missing children go silent, it’s a scream you cannot hear. Reach out to the AMBER Alert in Indian Country program nowto be prepared.

AMBER Alert is the safety net for our children in danger. It’s our job and our responsibility to fight for them and be their voice.

How can we protect our children? How can we ensure the best response is made when a child is missing or kidnapped?

When a child goes missing I can see the hurt in their family’s eyes. That empowers our team to work quickly, and diligently, on their behalf.

Just because nothing’s happened doesn’t mean it won’t. The wolf is at the door. And we need to help each other or we won’tsolve this problem.

Being fortunate doesn’t alleviate the responsibility of having a comprehensive plan for prevention and response in place.

'Telling Stories With Care, Authenticity & Dignity'

See Lt. O’Keefe in ‘The First 48’

Janell Rasmussen

Sayeh Rivazfar

U.S. Representative Andy Biggs

Jada Breaux

Kelsey Commisso

Whytley Jones

Michael Garcia

John Graham

Ana Flores

Learning From Survivors: A Top Theme

'All Abductions Are Local'

Pamela Foster: ‘Indian Country Needs AMBER Alert’

From Resources to Technology: More Takeaways

Click each dropdown box below for highlights from top-rated workshops & events.

Morrissa Ahl-Moyer uses a flow chart during a training session to help participants visualize the steps in activating an AMBER Alert: “I tell them the part on the left is what they need to worry about, and I handle everything else.”

Calling All 911 Telecommunicators

New guide’s sibling contributors

Helpful advice for the helpers

During a law enforcement investigation

Working with traditional/social media

CART on Camera: Burlington County, New Jersey

American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

Southern Border Initiative (Mexico) and Northern Border Initiative (Canada)

Serbia and Argentina

Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, and beyond

Collaboration for a clearer path forward

Commemoration highlights

Looking back—and ahead

Parent-advocate Patty Wetterling to DOJ and NCMEC: ‘You save lives. You saved mine.’

Remembering Maile

Take 5: Ways to keep stress in check

“Most people will experience a traumatic incident maybe five to seven times in their entire life. Meantime, a cop may experience a traumatic incident five to seven times a shift.”

The article includes these highlights:

Recognition and collaboration for better understanding—and a clear path forward

Commemoration highlights

Looking back—and ahead

Wetterling to DOJ & NCMEC: ‘You Save Lives. You Saved Mine.’

The power of family perspectives

1) Message Design Dashboard: Building a better WEA

2) Flock Safety: Real-time vehicle intelligence

3) Doorbell cameras: Public-engaging technology

4) Open Source Intelligence: Digging deep for answers

5) Artificial intelligence: Growing & evolving

Be on the Lookout: More Tech Advances

See Lt. O’Keefe
in ‘The First 48’