Protecting our children, KY and OH AMBER Alert info
Protecting our children Last week authorities used the Amber Alert emergency notification system to enlist the public's help in locating a child who'd been taken from Danville, Ky. The child was found safe the next day in an adjacent county, using information provided by the mother and garnered from traces of telephone calls. But the incident prompted Kentucky State Police to call attention to a new feature of the Amber Alert system in that state. In Kentucky - and in Ohio, and in a number of other states - individuals can sign up to have Amber Alerts delivered to their cell phones, pagers and e-mail accounts. Traditionally, public notifications about abducted children have been made through television, radio and highway message boards (and, in Ohio, lottery terminals). The information provided typically includes a description of the alleged abductor and the car he or she is thought to be driving, as well as a description of the child. The idea, of course, is to have people contact the police if they have information they think might be useful. Broadcasting through cell phones, e-mail and the like increases the likelihood that word will teach people quickly. Last year the national Amber Alert network reached an agreement with several of the national wireless providers that allows customers to sign up to receive alerts through their cell phones. You can also sign up for cell phone notices (from some but not all providers) and for e-mail and other types of notification through the state networks. In Kentucky, use the Internet to navigate to the Amber Alert Portal at www.kentuckyamberalert.com. In Ohio, the address is www.ohioamberplan.org (click on Ohio CAN in the lower left hand corner of the screen once you get there.) Both states allow subscribers to choose whether to get regional alerts or just those issued on a statewide basis. Fair warning: Signing up means your cell phone might go off at any hour of the day, and you will likely be charged for a text message. But the good news is you won't be overwhelmed with such messages. Last year in Ohio, for example, only 27 statewide alerts were issued. (All resulted in safe recoveries.) The national Amber Alert system - founded in the wake of the kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Arlington, Texas - marks its 10th anniversary this year. In that time, the system has demonstrated the power of the public to help law enforcement officials find abducted children. The new notification technology extends that ability. Making it an opt-in system is wise, we think. But its voluntary nature makes it that much more important for as many people as possible to participate in the effort to protect children from harm. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060213/NEWS02/602130367/1011/RSS02