|
January 13 is AMBER Alert Awareness Day
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 12, 2024
LANSING, MICH. Annually, January 13 marks the day of remembrance for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Texas, who went missing in 1996, and was found brutally murdered five days later. Her death prompted local broadcasters and police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children, leading to the creation of the AMBER Alert system. Since 1996, more than 1,146 children have been rescued due to an AMBER Alert.?
Today, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian Country, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and 27 other countries have AMBER Alert systems in place. In 2023, there were two AMBER Alerts issued in Michigan.? ?
What do I do if my child goes missing? ?
- Remain calm.?
- Check areas your child might be hiding or likes to play. This could include closets, under beds, in cars, the backyard, playgrounds, etc.?
- Call police or 911 as soon as you believe there is a need. Have your child?s information ready, including:
- age, height, weight, eye and hair color, what they were wearing that day and other names they go by or use.
- a recent photo.
- how much time has passed since you noticed your child was missing.
The quicker you contact authorities, the quicker they can respond and an organized search can begin. Provide as much information as you can to authorities as this will allow others to easily identify and search for your child. Additional safety tips can be found at www.missingkids.org.
For more information about Michigan?s AMBER Alert program, visit www.michigan.gov/AmberAlert.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ms. Jolene Hardesty, Missing Children?s Clearinghouse, 517-582-1154, [email protected]
|
