Child abduction is a parent’s worst nightmare, and a horrifying crime to anyone who can imagine the anguish of losing a child to someone who may do them harm. The vulnerability of children makes it particularly heart-wrenching when you hear in the media that a child is missing and could be in grave danger. Even more terrifying is how easy it is for a captor to “disappear” into a big city—and the more time that passes between an abduction and a search, the less chance there is of finding the child and returning him or her back home. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that, of children abducted and murdered by strangers, 75 percent are killed within the first three hours. Naturally, the more eyes looking out for the child and his or her kidnapper–and the sooner they’re looking–the higher the chances of a rescue.
What Is an AMBER Alert?
America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response (AMBER) alerts were instituted in 1996 and named for nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas. The goal of AMBER alerts is to make as many people as possible aware of abductions in their area. AMBER alerts are now used nationwide and in several other countries. Traditionally distributed by radio and television, they have been expanded to email, electronic traffic-condition signs, LED billboards, and via SMS text messages. Now Google has added another level of visibility to AMBER alerts by including them on Google Maps, as well as the Google Search Engine.
AMBER Criteria
Not all missing children meet the criteria for an AMBER alert. For an AMBER alert to be issued, law enforcement must confirm that a child under age 18 has been abducted; that the child is at risk of serious harm or death; and that there is sufficient descriptive information about the child, captor, and captor’s vehicle to issue the alert. Law enforcement then issues the information to transportation and broadcast officials as well as sending it to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.
The AMBER alert program has saved the lives of 595 children nationwide, most of them after 2002 when President Bush appointed an AMBER Alert Coordinator. Statistics show that the AMBER alert program acts as a deterrent to would-be abductors and that some perpetrators have actually released children after seeing themselves on an AMBER alert.
Why Google?
We can all agree that AMBER alerts are a good thing if they’re saving abducted children, but what is the significance of Google’s involvement? The way the new program will work is that, through Google’s Public Alerts platform, AMBER alerts will automatically pop up both in Google Search and Maps on desktops and mobile devices when a user searches for information or directions in a location where a child has been reported missing. The alert will also appear if the search terms are related to the case or to child abductions in general. The significance lies in the fact that Google logs 2 billion searches worldwide per day. Even with just a fraction of those folks receiving AMBER alerts, the fact that they are tailored to a specific area means many more people will be aware of local abductions.
The alerts on Google will be automatically updated as new information is made public, so you can be sure that you have the current details. Google is also hoping to expand the service into other countries, including Canada and Europe, as well.
How to Respond
If you happen to be doing a Google search or using Google Maps and an AMBER alert pops up, what should you do? First of all, note the description of both the child and abductor, the vehicle if there is one, and any other useful details. Second, keep your eyes and ears open. If you happen to spot the involved parties or the vehicle, notify local authorities immediately via 911. Never intervene on your own.
Another thing you can do is help prevent your own children from being abducted. The Polly Klaas Foundation offers a free kit that helps you talk to your kids about how to stay safe without scaring them. It includes recognizing dangerous situations or inappropriate adult behavior, safely asking for help, and how to respond to dangerous situations. The free kit can be ordered here.
