Amber Alerts | When are they used?

Recently law enforcement in the state of Massachusetts issued an Amber Alert after "Clark Rockefeller" (or whoever he is) kidnapped his daughter, Reigh Boss, from a public street in Boston. Shortly after the abduction, Rockefeller was seen with the child in New York. New York refused to issue an Amber Alert. The question raised is: "When is it appropriate to issue an Amber Alert?"

Because I was then working on another interstate parental kidnapping, I began to explore the policies and procedures concerning Amber Alerts. I found this illuminating article on the website for ABC News. "Tough Call: The Dilemma of an Amber Alert. It explains thoroughly why law enforcement must balance need for Amber Alerts against their potential overuse.

Amber Alerts are rarely issued in parental abductions, the theory being that if the child is with a parent or a relative, it's safe to assume that the child is OK.  The Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a wealth of information about Amber Alerts, including this helpful Checklist for First Responders, a short pointed explanation of how law enforcement should carefully begin an investigation.

You'll find many other valuable resources on my website http://parental-kidnapping.com. If your child is missing, please contact me to see if I can assist you or your attorney in recovery. I've consulted in many interstate parental kidnappings -- 7 in the past 12 months alone -- and can walk your attorney through the process even if Michigan is not one of the states involved. You can email me jeannemhannah@charter.net or call me at 231-223-7864 or 231-649-2140.

Comments

[Steven Ballard]

Thanks for the excellent post and great sources of information on this topic. I have long followed your wonderful blog and have been learning from your example since I began my own family law blog in Massachusetts just last year. I directed my readers to your post on kidnapping and amber alerts in my latest blog entry.

Regards,
Steve Ballard

Massachusetts Divorce & Family Law Blog