Today’s Amber Alert for teenager Brittany Smith of Roanoke, VA is shocking, as Brittany’s mother was found dead in the home of suspected homicide, and the man suspected of abducting Brittany may be the killer; authorities are cautioning extreme danger.
Photos of Brittany and suspected kidnapper Jeffrey Scott Easley are seen here.
A few Facebook posts for this child led me to the Brittany Smith AMBER Alert Facebook page, and I was relieved to see that social media plays such a positive role in spreading the word in situations like a child abduction.
There were also notes of frustration from others relating to why the alert was just put out even though Brittany has been gone for four days. This got me thinking: how do these alerts work, and what should we know about them as parents? There’s a great site on the U.S. Department of Justice regarding AMBER alerts.
Here are a few of the most key observations in my view:
1) AMBER Alerts are incredibly successful, with a 90% discovery rate.
2) AMBER alerts work by coordinating broadcasts in a given area and interrupting programming, creating a sense of urgency in spreading the message of child abduction.
3) There exists specific criteria for an Amber Alert to be placed, including imminent danger to the child who must be under 17 years of age.
4) There are ways to ensure that Amber Alerts are legitimate and not falsified.
5) There is an initiative for Wireless Amber Alerts to send notifications directly to cell phones.
Please share this information so that Brittany may be found safe and sound.
