AMBER ALERT TIMELINE

1996 comprehensively strengthened law enforcement’s ability to prevent, . The AMBER Alert System began in investigate, prosecute, and punish violent -Fort Worth when broadcasters crimes committed against children. teamed with local to develop an early warning system to help find . The PROTECT Act codified the abducted children. previously-established National AMBER Alert Coordinator role in the Department . AMBER stands for America’s Missing: of Justice. The law tasked the Broadcast Emergency Response. The Coordinator to: acronym was created as a legacy to 9- year-old Amber Hagerman, who was  Facilitate the development of the kidnapped while riding her bicycle in AMBER network Arlington, Texas, and then brutally  Support development of state murdered. AMBER plans and efforts  Help eliminate geographic gaps in . Other states and communities began AMBER networks setting up their own AMBER Alert plans  Provide regional AMBER network as the idea was adopted across the Nation. coordination  Establish guidance on criteria for 1996-2001 issuing an AMBER Alert

. The progress on developing and 2004 implementing AMBER plans throughout the country was not significant during this . Guidance was provided to law time. At the end of 2001, only four states enforcement, broadcasters, transportation had statewide AMBER plans. officials, and the public on AMBER Alert activation criteria. 2002 . The Department of Justice does not . The first ever White House Conference on mandate one set of criteria; however, as Missing, Exploited, and Runaway directed by the PROTECT Act and at the Children. AMBER Alert became request of state coordinators, the nationally focused. Department developed and shared its suggested criteria for the issuance of In conjunction with the conference, the AMBER Alerts. President requested that the U.S. Attorney General appoint the first National . The guidance is designed to create a AMBER Alert Coordinator. Deborah J. uniform, interoperable network of plans Daniels, Assistant Attorney General for across the country and minimize the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of potentially deadly delays due to confusion Justice Programs was appointed the first among varying jurisdictions. National AMBER Alert Coordinator. . The Department's recommended criteria 2003 for issuing AMBER Alerts are as follows:  Law enforcement must confirm that . On April 30, the President signed into law an abduction has taken place the PROTECT Act, which 1

 The child is at risk of serious injury or media public service campaign, including death radio, newspaper, outdoor and Internet  There is sufficient descriptive advertising to encourage the public to sign information of the child, captor or up to receive AMBER Alerts. captor's vehicle to issue an Alert.  The child must be 17 years old or . On July 19, the Department announced younger. that it had initiated talks with tribal  It is recommended that the child’s leaders to bring AMBER Alert to Indian name and other critical data be Country to create a seamless AMBER entered immediately into the FBI's Alert network nationwide. National Crime Information Center. Information describing the 2007 circumstances of the abduction should be entered, and the case flagged as a . On September 14, as part of the U.S. Child Abduction. Department of Justice AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative, ten Tribal sites . Most states’ guidelines adhere closely to were selected to serve as demonstration the U.S. Department of Justice's sites for other Native American recommended guidelines. communities.

2005 . NCMEC, the authorized agent of the Department of Justice responsible for the . In February, became the 50th state to secondary distribution of AMBER Alerts, complete its statewide AMBER Alert plan, established a partnership with MySpace creating a network of plans nationwide. and the Transportation Security Administration to expand the secondary . In May, the Department of Justice joined distribution network. the wireless industry and other government officials to announce that 2008 wireless users can opt to receive geographically specified AMBER Alert . In May, the Outdoor Advertising messages on their wireless devices through Association of America (OAAA) joined an AMBER Alert wireless messaging the AMBER Alert secondary distribution system. network.

. In November, the Department launched 2009 an initiative to train Child Abduction Response Teams (CART) nationwide, . All 50 states, the District of Columbia, designed to assist local law enforcement Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands agencies responding to incidents of have AMBER Alert plans. The AMBER missing and abducted children. CART Alert system has also been adopted in the can be used for all missing children’s Canadian provinces and continues to cases; it can be deployed as part of an expand into the Mexican border states. AMBER Alert, or when a child is abducted or missing but the abduction or disappearance does not meet the AMBER For more information visit Alert criteria. www.amberalert.gov

2006 Updated January 2010 . On May 25, the Department of Justice, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Wireless Foundation teamed up with the Ad Council to launch a national, multi- 2