[View the story "Milk Carton 2.0" on Storify ]Milk Carton 2.0 With all the technology available, is it time to rethink how we search for missing children? Storified by AJAMStream · Wed, Mar 12 2014 11:39:22
The AMBER Alert has been credited with helping to successfully recover 679 children since its inception in 1996. However, the program, which enlists state and local governments to help
spread the word of abducted children to surrounding communities, has been criticized for not adequately evolving enough to reflect current technologies and sometimes only providing
little information.
amber alert system in action , Canadacrxtech1
A recent child abduction case involved 10-year-old Hailey Owens. Initial reports of a kidnapping came in at 4:48 pm. Residents didn't receive an AMBER Alert until 7:42.
Springfield, Missouri Child Abduction Police Radio Communicationsarlingtoncards
She was found dead later that night. Questions quickly arose about whether the relay system is executed efficiently.
The Amber Alert is a wonderful tool We need to find a way to expidite the process. We failed #HaileyOwensTammy
Had the Amber Alert been issued within minutes, not hours of Hailey’s abduction, she might very well be alive today. Clearly, in the most desperate cases like Hailey Owens, time is of the essence. We need action, not red tape.klaaskids.org
AJAM Stream community member Jennifer Bohannon offered a similar opinion.
@AJAMStream it's not a video,but I feel it's more present with the phone alert system.The alerts should be sent earlier,though.Jennifer Bohannon
The process of issuing an AMBER Alert and the effect it has on law enforcement response times was scrutinized by at least one local Springfield, Missouri publication.
Thursday, KOLR10 looked at the Amber Alert system from the perspective of a police agency that needs to get information to the Missouri State Highway patrol quickly to have an Amber Alert activated. What was found was in the middle of this urgent process local agencies are required to fill out a three page form by hand and then fax or email it in. In the middle of a crucial investigation, it involves a game of telephone and less than cutting edge technology.nwahomepage.com
AMBER Alerts are only issued in a fraction of missing children investigations. In order for one to be sent out by local agencies,
specific requirements must be met.
Some folks really need to google "amber alert criteria". The family of poor Amber would be sad to see what its used for now.Trevor Berg
Kind of curious. Mom calls 911 at 4:30am to report baby missing from crib next to her, yet no amber alert issued as it doesn't meet criteriaVikings Fan Page
As technology has adapted, so have methods to compliment the AMBER Alert. Many now circulate active Alerts through their social media networks.
Amber Alert Canceled . She Been Found !! Thanks to the Social Media They Caught her safe and sound !!!djcrazydmv
ACTIVE AMBER ALERT--TEXAS PLEASE RETWEET & REPOST ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA.amberfounder
The role of social media in bringing children back home has not been lost among many online.
An Amber Alert was put into place in Lubbock, Texas earlier. After a few hours, the child has been found. The power of social media!!!Eloy Perez
I love how quickly the amber alert is spreading ! Social media isn't all negativeDejoire
Organizations have formed around the power of social network postings to find missing children. Find Your Missing Child creates tutorials so parents of lost children can expand their search online.
FYMC Enhancing Your Facebook Pagefindyourmissingchild
The Missing Children's Society of Canada (MCSC) is trying to take this to the next level by creating a sophisticated program that takes advantage of prominent social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Pinterest. Users donate their accounts to the organization; when a child goes missing in their area, MCSC will post to those sites through their personal accounts.
Milk Carton 2.0: The World's Most Valuable Projectmissingchildcanada
The social media strategy has been undertaken by minority communities who say missing children of color are less likely to receive coverage from local and national media. A 2005 study
found that White children were disproportionately covered in national media compared to their minority counterparts.
Tens of thousands missing Black children in America. None get news time. Yet once one murdered, killer gets spotlight. #CancelTheInterviewTrudy
in the past 4 days i've seen at least 4 black children missing... with absolutely no coverage besides social mediaBee.
So many Black children go missing and barely make a bleep on the radar. Thank God for social media and our ability to highlight our missing.Taurean Black
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