TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and KBI Director Tony Mattivi wish to remind Kansans that their assistance during an AMBER alert is crucial to law enforcement as they strive to safely locate abducted children. The reminder comes as National AMBER Alert Awareness Day is observed on Jan. 13.
The Kansas AMBER Alert plan is coordinated by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and the KBI. When an AMBER alert is issued the media are notified, and details of the missing child and suspect are immediately broadcasted.
“The first few hours are the most crucial in recovering abducted children. The emergency system brings kids home safely, but only when the public assists,” said AG Kobach.
Since its inception in 1996, this national program has successfully recovered 1,146 children. In Kansas, the program has brought 71 children home safely since its start in 2002.
The AMBER Alert program, named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies, broadcast media, transportation agencies, and other private sector partners to activate an urgent bulletin in the most critical child abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER alert is to instantly motivate the entire community to be attentive in case the endangered child is spotted. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. Wireless Emergency Alerts, or (WEAs), are also used to quickly notify citizens on their cell phones and mobile devices in a targeted geographic area.
“The KBI appreciates the support of the public, but also the collaboration of our many AMBER Alert partners who understand how vital their help is at the critical time of a child abduction,” Director Mattivi said. “In the past, we have had several incidents where tips from the public made a positive impact on law enforcement’s ability to locate children,” Mattivi added.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children maintains a list of all missing children from Kansas at www.missingkids.com. The KBI also has a website featuring a current and comprehensive listing of all missing persons in Kansas in a searchable format. That website is available at www.kbi.ks.gov/MissingPersons. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of any of these missing persons should contact local law enforcement or call 1-800-KS-CRIME.
More information can be found on the attorney general’s website at www.ag.ks.gov/amber-alert and at www.ksamber.org.
