The Somerset County, Sheriff's Office in Maine issued a warning in June 2018 about a fake AMBER Alert being shared on Facebook. The alert claims a taxi was stolen with a passenger and could be anywhere in the area. Maine has activated AMBER Alerts just twice since the state started the program 13 years ago.

Two Farmington, New Mexico, police officers were recognized for finding a missing boy after an AMBER Alert was issued in New Hampshire. Officers Darin Gilbert and Michael Lyman arrested the boy’s father and recovered his 18-month-old son after recognizing them from the alert. The suspect tried to flee but was stopped after officers put spikes on the road to stop his vehicle. The officers were given the Meritorious Service Award at the Maine Association of Police Awards Banquet.

Maine State Representative Diane Russell is asking the FCC to approve AMBER Alerts on “Trucker TV.” The proposed low-frequency station would reach thousands of long-haul truck drivers at truck stops and other places truckers gather. “If I had a child missing, I would want them keeping an eye out,” said Russell. Trucker TV has not yet been approved by the FCC.

For seven years Maine had an AMBER Alert plan that had never been used. Everything changed on November 9, 2009, when a 2-year-old girl was abducted after a violent attack on the child's mother in Sanford, Maine.

Lt. Brian McDonough, Maine's AMBER Alert Coordinator and Missing Persons Clearinghouse Director, had the day off and was riding his motorcycle when he got the call. McDonough worried initially how people would react.

“All my apprehension went away because it was working,” said McDonough. “The media outlets embraced it. Everyone was excited about Maine's first AMBER Alert.”

According to the police affidavit, 38-year-old Gary Traynham broke into his former girlfriend's apartment and then strangled and assaulted her when she got home. The victim attempted to call 911 and Traynham took their 2-year-old daughter and left in a green Dodge pickup truck.

Sanford police initially thought they would find the suspect quickly using a BOLO alert because he lived in the area. They also debated whether the case met the criteria for an AMBER Alert because the suspect's parental rights had not been severed. After confirming all the facts, McDonough gave approval for the AMBER Alert to be activated.

“I was very concerned that this child was going to be killed,” said McDonough. “We knew it was a risk worth taking.”

McDonough also supervises the Southern Division for Major Crimes. He was given the additional duty of AMBER Alert Coordinator after he mentioned that every AMBER Alert is potentially a “homicide in progress.” McDonough learned quickly that back-up plans are needed for AMBER Alerts. The software for the Emergency Alert System had a glitch so the media received the alerts by e-mail and transportation officials were notified by phone. “There were a few problems but overall, the alert got out very well,” said McDonough.

Police began tracking the suspect's cell phone and determined he could be heading to Vermont or New Hampshire. Both states issued their own alerts and started blanketing the area with officers.

The following day Mike Grant Jr. was hunting with a muzzle loader near a dirt road in Milton, New Hampshire. Grant recognized the suspect's truck and remembered the license plate number from the AMBER Alert. The hunter approached the suspect and convinced him to turn himself in. “This hunter was a hero,” said McDonough. “It was a good thing it was hunting season.”

Law enforcement officers and broadcasters met to review Maine's first AMBER Alert to see what worked well and what can be done better. McDonough said all the training he has received helped for his first AMBER Alert but there is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. “I don't regret it at all,” added McDonough. “It was successful and the right decisions were made.”