Monroe County has never had an Amber Alert, but the system is ready if needed, said Chief Deputy Russell Brummett with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
An Amber Alert broadcasts detailed information via mobile phones, radio and television when a child abduction occurs, with the goal of finding that child as fast as possible.
“Other agencies have had great success with it,” Brummett said of Amber Alerts. “Thank God we haven’t had one.”
In the early hours of May 21, a statewide Amber Alert was activated on the request of Columbus-area authorities with information about the abduction of 1-year-old Solomon Rhoades. Later that same day, the alert was canceled after the child was found.
Indiana State Police is in charge of activating an Amber Alert after receiving a request to do so from local enforcement.
Brummett explained the missing person must be age 17 or younger and believed to be in imminent danger, with a “reasonable belief” that they were actually abducted. There must also be enough detailed information that law enforcement believes an alert will help lead to finding the child.
“We know the criteria and if we don’t have the information, we can’t put out the alert,” Brummett said.
The alert system was started in 1996 and stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The name is in honor of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and was later found killed. The girl’s killer was never found and Amber Alerts were put in place to heighten the response to such crimes against children, improving the chances of finding them alive.