Delay Amber Alerts

Authorities in Prince George’s County, Washington waited almost 9 hours to issue an Amber Alert for a four year old boy who had been abducted from his home in the area. Child advocate groups were quick to point out that issuing an Amber Alert as soon as the child is confirmed missing is of the utmost importance because there is a very good chance that the child is still in the area. Authorities on the other hand, claim to have their reasons not to do so.

“Time is of the essence,” said Bob Hoever of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “But an Amber Alert is just one tool for law enforcement, and they need to decide whether that tool should be deployed.” Acting too quickly and too frequently could lead to crying-wolf situations or place the child in danger, he added.

The Department of Justice who oversees the Amber Alert system on a federal level suggests that the system should be used as quickly as possible.