ATLANTA --- The number of Amber Alerts issued in Georgia has dropped over the past three years, mirroring a nationwide trend.
But what is contributing to the decline eludes law enforcement and advocates for missing children.
"Given the publicity these things get once they are activated, there could be a deterrent factor. I don't think anyone really knows for sure," said John Bankhead, the spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which coordinates the alerts at the request of law enforcement agencies.
Alerts are now so ubiquitous that, in addition to appearing on television and freeway signs, people can receive them as text messages on their cell phones, which could serve as a hindrance to a potential abductor, said Bob Holever, the associate director of training for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sixteen child abductors surrendered and returned their victims in 2007 after hearing an alert had been issued, Mr. Holever said.
He said he believes law enforcement and the public are better trained to respond and react to alerts than they were when the program began. Police respond faster after an abduction is reported, and the public is more diligent in spotting suspect vehicles on the road, he said.
Mr. Bankhead said GBI officials are thankful they have not had to use the program too often, which could desensitize the public to alerts.
Reported abductions must meet a set of criteria, so alerts are issued only in cases in which the child might be in danger and the public would have enough information to spot the abductor, he said. Alerts typically aren't issued in cases of parental abductions and runaways.
The GBI has issued 82 alerts and denied 65 since 2002.
If a reported abduction does not meet the criteria for an alert, law enforcement agencies can issue a media advisory through A Child Is Missing, a Florida-based nonprofit that sends out regionally targeted recorded phone calls with a description of the child or abductor.
Amber Alerts in Georgia are known as Levi's Call, named after an 11-year-old Forsyth County boy who was abducted near his home and killed in 1997. Amber Alerts began in 1996, after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and killed in Texas.
Reach Jake Armstrong at (404) 589-8424 or jake.armstrong@morris.com.
FEWER ISSUED
The number of Amber Alerts issued during the past four years across Georgia and the United States:
YEAR - GEORGIA - U.S.
2005 - 12 - 275
2006 - 26 - 261
2007 - 15 - 227
2008* - 5 - 102
*As of June 30.
Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Georgia Bureau of Investigation
BY THE NUMBERS
437: Children nationwide returned to parents because of Amber Alerts
120: Amber Alert systems in place nationally
70: Children returned to parents after Levi's Call alerts
3: Hours after an abduction that are critical to recovery
Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Georgia Bureau of Investigation
WIRELESS ALERTS
The public can receive free Amber Alert information on mobile phones.
At www.wirelessamberalerts.org, mobile phone users can type in their ZIP code and receive alerts whenever one is issued in the area.
-- Morris News Service
icon.
