The Missouri Plan

What Is AMBER Alert? In 2003, the Missouri Legislature passed Sen- ate Bill 30 that created the Missouri AMBER AMBER Alert (America’s Missing: Alert System. The Department of Public Safety Broadcast Emergency Response) is a was given the responsibility to develop a system MISSOURI voluntary partnership involving law enforce- that would divide the state into regions and provide ment, broadcasters, and other agencies and is a coordinated effort between local law enforcement based on the same concept used to alert the agencies, transportation, and local media to aid in public of a severe weather emergency. During the identification and location of abducted children. an AMBER Alert, a Wireless Emergency The law also established an oversight committee AMBER Alert (WEA) message is sent to cell phones, chaired by the director of the Department of Public an urgent news bulletin is broadcast over the Safety and consisting of members from the Mis- Alert airwaves using the Emergency Alert System souri State Highway Patrol, Department of Health (EAS), and other highway and electronic signs and Senior Services, Department of Transportation, are activated to enlist the aid of the public in Missouri Lottery, Missouri Police Chiefs Associa- finding an abducted child and stopping the tion, Missouri Sheriffs Association, and the Mis- A Program To perpetrator. souri Broadcasters Association. Recover Abducted Children In Missouri Why Was AMBER Timely Cooperation Alert Created? And Your Participation

The AMBER Plan was created in Is Crucial 1996 as a powerful legacy to nine year-old Amber Hagerman, a little girl who was kid- “Seventy four percent of children that are napped and brutally murdered while riding kidnapped and later found murdered, are killed within the first three hours after being taken ...” her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. The tragedy The Cooperative Effort Of: – University of Washington Study shocked and outraged the entire community. Missouri Department of Public Safety Residents contacted radio stations in the Dal- Missouri State Highway Patrol las area and suggested they broadcast special For more information regarding the Missouri AMBER Alert Missouri Department of Health and “alerts” over the airwaves, so that they could Plan contact the state of Missouri AMBER Alert Senior Services help prevent such incidents in the future. In coordinator: Captain Corey J. Schoeneberg Missouri Department of Transportation response to the community’s concern for the Missouri Lottery AMBER Alert Coordinator safety of children, the Dallas/Fort Worth As- Missouri Police Chiefs Association Missouri State Highway Patrol sociation of Radio Managers teamed up with Missouri Sheriffs Association Troop F Headquarters local law enforcement agencies in Northern Missouri Broadcasters Association Texas and developed this innovative early P.O. Box 568 warning system to help find abducted chil- Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 dren. Statistics show that, when abducted, a or at child’s greatest enemy is time. [email protected] www.facebook.com/AMBERalertMO

SHP-127 F 12/2019 AMBER Alert Criteria Alert Activation to [email protected] or faxed to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F In order for an AMBER Alert to be forward- Process Headquarters at 573-751-6814. Contact Troop ed for dissemination via the Alert Missouri pro- F Communications at 573-751-1000 to verify gram the following criteria must be met: 1. Trained local law enforcement personnel in the email/fax was received. Once approved, the community where the abduction occurred 1. Law enforcement officials have a reason- Troop F Communications will disseminate the must first determine if all the activation crite- able belief that an abduction has occurred, alert. ria are met. which meets the definition in 565.110 or 6. If the coordinator or designee doesn’t feel 2. If so, the local agency should contact the Mis- 565.115 RSMo. Section. the situation rises to the level of an AMBER souri State Highway Patrol Troop F Headquar- 2. Law enforcement officials believe there Alert, other options can be explored if a child ters at 573-751-1000 and request an AMBER is a credible threat of serious bodily injury endangerment incident is evident. Alert. Troop F Communications will contact or death to the victim. the state AMBER Alert coordinator or their 3. Enough descriptive information exists designee and initiate a conference call between What Can You Do? about the victim and the abductor for law the local agency, Troop F Communications, enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert. Work with your local law enforcement and the coordinator or designee. After a brief 4. The victim of the abduction is a child age agency to host a child safety seminar at discussion regarding the abduction and each 17 years of age or younger. your school, church, community cen- criteria section, the coordinator or designee 5. The child’s name and other critical data el- ter, civic organization, or neighborhood will make the decision whether the situation ements including the child abduction (CA) group. rises to the level of an AMBER Alert. If flag have been entered into the National the decision is made to activate the AMBER Know who lives in your community. Our Crime Information Center (NCIC) system. Alert system, Troop F Communications will state tracks sex offenders. Know who AMBER Alerts are issued by a law en- take the abduction information over the tele- they are and where they live. Access the forcement agency in cooperation with the media phone from the local agency and initiate the Missouri Sex Offender Registry at: http:// only in circumstances meeting the state AM- alert process. www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov. Select “Sex BER Alert criteria. 3. If not already completed, the local agency Offender Registry” button on the bar at If an abduction or missing person case does must initiate a Missing Person computer entry the top of the Patrol’s home page. not meet the AMBER Alert criteria, many in MULES as required in the National Child Pay attention to missing children flyers other investigative tools can be employed includ- Search Act (42 U.S.C. 5779, 5780). and notices in stores. ing the MISSOURI ENDANGERED PERSON 4. The local agency should also fill out the Keep current information and photos of ADVISORY. Find out more information about AMBER Alert request form in MULES your children. the Endangered Person Advisory Plan and 5 (type AMBER in the command line). This Activation Procedures at:http://www.mshp.dps. form sends a message via MULES to Troop F mo.gov. Communications to notify them of the pending To View Active AMBER AMBER Alert request. If the agency needs Alerts In Missouri Our Mission assistance filling out the AMBER form, Troop Alerts In Missouri F Communications can assist the agency. The mission of the AMBER Alert Pro- Please visit www.MOAlerts.mo.gov to view 5. If the local agency does not have access to the any active AMBER Alerts in the state of gram is to develop and coordinate the efforts of AMBER Alert request form in MULES 5, Missouri. You can also sign up to receive noti- law enforcement, the media, and transportation AMBER Alert complete a Missouri Abduc- fication of an activation of anAMBER Alert in order to increase public participation in safely tion Form found on the Missouri State High- recovering abducted children through targeted via email on this website. Click on “Subscribe to way Patrol website under “Missing Persons” at MO Alerts,” enter your email address and click education, increased communication, and effec- the top of the page. This form can be emailed tive sharing of resources. “Subscribe.”