Amber Alert Procedures Cause Confusion and Unwarranted Criticism

- Linda Spagnoli (Code Amber)

Recently, law enforcement officials in some states have come under sharp criticism for their Amber Alert notification procedures. The recent disappearances in Cleveland, OH, and the recent Amber Alert out of North Carolina involving a 3 year old abducted at gunpoint, reflect the differences in circumstances, which officers on the scene must decipher.

Amber Alerts are not a "magic potion" that will bring back every single child every single time. If we go back to the essence of what the Amber Alert was meant to be, you will note that in its purest form it was designed to respond quickly to an event where a child was seen being abducted by a stranger. It is an effective tool to be sure, however it is NOT appropriate in all cases and that's where the problem exists.

Imagine a law enforcement officer arriving at a scene where a child is reported missing and encountering a variety of situations including hysterical parents, suspicious circumstances, conflicting stories and in some cases even a homicide.

If I were the parent involved, I'd be screaming "Amber Alert, Amber Alert!" and with good reason. It works. I see it on TV every day. It's a wonderful tool and it brings children home. Unfortunately, law enforcement cannot afford that kind of tunnel vision when investigating a serious crime.

As Amber Alert criteria varies from state to state, it is very important to realize that this tool is not the only one used when investigating missing children events. Here at Code Amber, when we get calls in the middle of the night from law enforcement agencies looking for answers. We do what we can to answer questions or simply direct the questions to the agency that administers the Amber Alert system in that particular state.

Sure it's confusing. Sure there are going to be glitches. But, why point fingers and blame the very people who are on the front lines?

Any day of the week you can find arguments about the Amber Alert's use and potential over use. Some think it should be used more frequently, some think it should not stray from the purpose intended -- outright stranger abductions.

You're all entitled to your opinion, and both sides present a valid argument; but please, go easy on the law enforcement officers in the field who want the same outcome we all do... a child returned unharmed.

Regarding the recent event of the abducted 3 year old in Robeson County, NC, I have to say that we dealt with extremely professional and concerned officers in the Sheriff's office. If there were glitches, I'm sure there won't be next time. It's a learning curve. Nothing happened that can't be changed or improved upon. There is potential for second guessing in every single case.

With the 138 Amber Alerts we've reported in the last 2 years, not one case was like another. Sure there are some patterns, but every single one was a unique situation.

It's been our pleasure over these months to assist law enforcement with the notification process. Bryant Harper, Founder of Code Amber and I have talked with law enforcement officials from the 35 states having Amber Alerts we've posted. They are professionals without exception.

There are different opinions; there always will be. There are problems; they will be fixed. There are dedicated law enforcement officials out there trying to do what we all want done. Let's help get the problems fixed instead of trashing their decisions. Let's encourage communication and the smooth flow of information. Let's recognize that's its easy sitting back and second guessing officers on the scene and refrain from doing it.

Linda Spagnoli
Director of Communications
Code Amber.org
LJS@codeamber.org
LJSpagnoli@aol.com
772 971 4816