What Causes an AMBER Alert in Ohio?

DAYTON, OH (WDT) – Why do some missing persons cases receive a statewide AMBER alert while others do not?

Ohio has seen six AMBER Alerts in the first four months of 2024. This is compared to nine in all of 2023 and six in 2022. So what exact qualifications trigger an Amber Alert?

What is an AMBER alert?

AMBER Alerts were introduced in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed up with local police to set up an alert system to track kidnapped children.

AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created in honor of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas.

Each state has its own criteria for its own AMBER alert systems, but these criteria are determined by the Department of Justice best practice guidelines.

AMBER alerts are broadcast notifications that warn residents of missing children in their area. These alerts are typically regional, but can sometimes be broadcast statewide.

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What circumstances lead to an AMBER alert?

The Ohio Revised Code mentions four main criteria what needs to happen before an AMBER alert can be issued:

1. Police confirm that the child is under 18 years old.

2. Law enforcement officials believe the kidnapping poses a credible threat of imminent danger, including serious bodily harm or death.

3. There is sufficient descriptive information about the child, the suspect and/or the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping

4. The police have determined that the child is not a runaway and that the kidnapping is not the result of a family kidnapping, unless investigation shows that the child is in immediate danger.

Once these criteria are met, an AMBER alert is issued.

Number of characters increased for emergency and Amber Alert messages

What happens if an AMBER alert is issued?

Once an AMBER alert is issued, the alert is broadcast to a region or multiple regions of Ohio. Sometimes warnings are sent out statewide.

When the alert is issued, the Emergency Alert System is activated, sending notifications to mobile devices and broadcasting the alert on television and radio stations. Secondary notifications can be sent via social media, SMS, email or fax.

Residents can also find the report in its entirety, including victim description and location, at OhioAMBERPlan.org or by calling 1-877-AMBER-OH.

Records show the Ohio Amber Alert, which ended with the death of a five-year-old child, is unusual

Other types of warnings

Not every child receives an AMBER alert, but Ohio does three other important alert types to locate missing persons and suspects.

1. Warning for endangered missing child – This alert is issued when a child is believed to be at risk but does not meet the AMBER alert qualifications.

2. Warning for endangered missing adults – This alert is used to help locate missing adults with intellectual disabilities or over 65 years of age.

3. Ohio Blue Alert – This alert is being issued to request the public’s assistance in locating a suspect involved in the killing or seriously injuring of a law enforcement officer.

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