Contents Brief History of AMBER Alert ..................................................................1 Need for a Partnership ............................................................................2 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) ........................................2 After-Action Reports ........................................................................4 Consensus of Broadcast Media ..............................................................4 Verification of Information ..............................................................6 Content of Message ................................................................................6 The Message ....................................................................................6 Sensitivity to the Audience ............................................................7 Frequency of Message ............................................................................8 Other Considerations ..............................................................................9 April 2005 NCJ 208481 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets SS eventy-four percent of chil­ dren who are kidnapped The concept for AMBER Alert is simple and later found murdered and effective: Law enforcement and the are killed within the first three media working together to alert the hours after being taken, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. public and effect the quick, safe Time is critical if abducted children recovery of abducted children. are to be successfully recovered. Early involvement of the media in a child abduction case can make the difference between unthinkable a child is missing or abducted. tragedy and joyous reunification. Consequently, all forms of media are important and needed. During missing child incidents, the media serve as the conduit be­ tween law enforcement officials Brief History of and the public in making sure AMBER Alert timely and accurate information quickly reaches the intended public The idea for an audience. Broadcast media are early warning among the first responders—the system was con­ vehicle that transmits the early, ceived in 1996 rapid AMBER (America’s Missing: as a memorial Broadcast Emergency Response) to nine-year-old Alerts giving citizens the basic in­ Amber Hager­ formation that will enable them to man, who was kidnapped while be involved in the search for an ab­ riding her bicycle in Arlington, ducted child. Texas, and later brutally mur­ dered. Dallas area broadcasters The critical role played by broad­ came up with the idea of using cast journalists in an early re­ Emergency Alert System (EAS) sponse does not minimize the equipment to rapidly relay child need for other media during abduction information. Broad­ AMBER Alert incidents. Cable casters approached local law en­ companies, newspapers, and forcement with the concept, and specialty publications also play a America’s first AMBER Alert pro­ vital role in reaching all segments gram was born. The idea was of the public. AMBER Alerts solicit simple: When police notified the the public’s eyes and ears, and all media that a child abduction media, regardless of audience or had taken place, viewers and geographical reach, can help en­ the listening public would be list the public’s participation when AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets 1 notified through broadcast AMBER Alert plans that will announcements with as much work together for the good of information as possible to en­ the children. able the public to provide the extra eyes and ears that would Need for a increase the likelihood that a child abductor could be caught before Partnership those first three critical hours had elapsed. AMBER Alert’s success is tied directly to the quality of the part­ The early warning concept, nership established among law now called AMBER Alert, quickly enforcement agencies, broadcast spread to other communities and other media outlets, depart­ and states. In 2002, President ments of transportation, state George W. Bush directed the and federal officials, and various U.S. Department of Justice to civic and political leaders. Each help every state set up its own partner is important, and each AMBER plan. This Best Practices has a unique role to play. Similar­ Guide for Broadcasters and Other ly, each partnership has its unique Media Outlets is designed to help characteristics based on the com­ state, regional, and local pro­ munity in which it was created, grams develop and improve their yet each forms an essential link plans and to promote consistency in the larger fabric of the nation’s among all programs. AMBER Alert program. This guide is based on hours of At the most basic level, partners research, correspondence, and need to understand their exact discussion with state, regional, responsibilities in their communi- and local AMBER Alert coordina­ ty’s AMBER Alert recovery plan. tors and their media partners, Partners can avoid duplication of who talked openly about their effort if they understand the exact experiences and volunteered responsibilities of their colleagues the content of their plans so that as well. others could benefit. It presents the combined wisdom of journal­ Memoranda of ists and coordinators working on Understanding the front line of the AMBER pro­ (MOUs) grams, who understand that no two communities or AMBER Alert The process of creating a local, programs are identical, but the state, or regional AMBER Alert goals are nevertheless the same: plan is complex, and no two plans to create a national network of will evolve in exactly the same 2 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets way. Even so, officials in one Information Center (NCIC) sys­ community can find it helpful to tem and corresponding state learn about the issues that other or local databases before an communities have confronted AMBER Alert is requested. and the solutions they found to resolve them. Some elements ✦ Criteria for activation of an are common to all plans, and a AMBER Alert, including the age clear, precise, and thorough defi­ of the child and other critical nition of each partner’s roles and information. responsibilities is one such ele­ ✦ Confidential systems and codes ment. To ensure a smoothly run­ for use by law enforcement and ning program, potential legal broadcasters in activating an issues or concerns should be ex­ AMBER Alert. plored and resolved in advance, if at all possible. A memorandum ✦ A system for disseminating of understanding, or MOU, can Alerts, with regular tests to form the basis for long-term ensure the system’s integrity. agreement on roles and responsi­ bilities before a final AMBER Alert ✦ Appropriate wording to be used plan is enacted. AMBER coordina­ in disseminating an AMBER tors and their partners agree that, Alert to the public. at a minimum, an MOU should detail the following: ✦ Procedures for determining the frequency of broadcast Alerts, ✦ Specific roles of all the part­ how long the Alerts should con­ ners, including law enforce­ tinue, and when and how Alerts ment agencies, broadcast and should be deactivated. other media outlets, depart­ ments of transportation, various ✦ Procedures for determining governmental organizations, the kind of Alert to be used, nonprofit agencies, and other such as an EAS activation, organizations with a child wel­ a “crawl” at the bottom of a fare focus. television screen, or a news announcement. ✦ A requirement that law en­ forcement confirm that an ✦ The role of secondary media abduction has taken place outlets, such as newspapers and that the risk of harm to and other print media. the child is significant. ✦ The role of other secondary ✦ Criteria for ensuring that outlets, such as taxi companies, key information has been en­ public transportation systems, tered into the National Crime and cable or power companies. AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets 3 ✦ The use of road signs, if avail­ ✦ Does the plan need to be able, and the wording to be changed in any way in the used to tie the information wake of the Alert activation? back to broadcast Alerts. These are just some of the issues ✦ A mechanism for “all-clear” that should be discussed during notifications. the After-Action review to ensure that the AMBER Alert program is operating as specified in the MOU After-Action and agreed on by partner agen­ Reports cies and organizations. AMBER coordinators and their partners identified a second key Consensus of element common to effective Broadcast plans: a formal process evaluation following every Alert activation to Media assess process issues, including the quality of communication and Media representatives who assist­ technology. The best plans require ed in the development of this that a follow-up meeting of key guide say that broadcasters who partners be scheduled after every agree to provide immediate re­ Alert activation to discuss these sponse during AMBER Alerts need questions: a reasonable expectation that their partner agencies will fulfill ✦ How successful was the Alert all of their responsibilities in ac­ activation process? What cordance with the activation plan. worked well? What needs Some of these responsibilities can attention? be detailed in MOU agreements. ✦ How effectively did the equip­ Confidence in the AMBER Alert ment function? system will be ensured if every­ one in the partnership agrees to ✦ Did any expected problems the following: arise during the Alert process, and what was done to resolve ✦ Law enforcement will request them? an EAS activation to alert the public only when all previously ✦ Did any expected gaps surface established criteria have been during the Alert—such as the met. need for additional training, equipment, or other technology ✦ Law enforcement officials will requirements—that need to be provide complete, thorough addressed? information that is not legally 4 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets prohibited and does not ✦ Law enforcement and other au­ jeopardize the integrity of thorities, such as 911 centers, an investigation. will provide a method for han­ dling the tips and inquiries ✦ Law enforcement officials will called in to the phone number recognize broadcasters’ respon­ once an AMBER Alert has been sibility to provide the public activated. with accurate, thorough infor­ mation and to question any and ✦ EAS activation will protect the all speculative reports as part of integrity of the AMBER Alert their professional duty. system by preventing false or other misleading transmission ✦ Law enforcement officials will of information to the media quickly terminate an AMBER that would result in the public Alert when the threat is no becoming desensitized or even longer imminent or apparent. misled. The system for protec­ tion should include special ✦ Department of Transportation codes and privileged activa­ officials will provide timely in­ tion transmissions among plan formation on road signs and partners. will direct drivers to tune in to other sources for more detailed ✦ Activation of an AMBER Alert information. over the EAS will not prevent news organizations, including ✦ News staff at other broadcast stations airing AMBER Alerts, stations, cable outlets, and from using Alert information for newspapers will be able to legitimate news purposes. obtain the same immediate information for dissemination ✦ Information gleaned by legiti­ purposes. mate news operations but not provided in the AMBER Alert ✦ The system for immediate, announcement will be dissemi­ simultaneous dissemination nated to the public in normal (be it EAS, the National Oceanic news reports. Nothing will and Atmospheric Administra­ be added to the official EAS tion, phone, fax, e-mail, or AMBER Alert message. some combination of these) will be detailed in the MOU. ✦ Law enforcement will esta­ blish procedures for making ✦ The AMBER Alert message will information available to the fol­ include a phone number for the lowing entities before issuing public to call. an Alert: media outlets; other AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets 5 law enforcement agencies such Content of as the FBI (NCIC), National Cen­ Message ter for Missing & Exploited Chil­ dren (NCMEC), and state By their very nature, AMBER Alert clearinghouses; and secondary messages must be concise and to distributors. the point. They also must be imme­ diately understood, easily assimi­ ✦ Law enforcement agencies and lated, and quickly disseminated. broadcasters will agree to make equipment and personnel avail­ Some communities, regions, and able for periodic tests of the target audiences are better ap­ system used for broadcasting proached at a particular time of the Alert. day or in a particular manner in order to maximize the effective­ Verification of ness of the message. Who better Information than local broadcast media under­ stand the particular needs of their The media understands that target audience? AMBER Alert situations are fluid and will change minute by minute. The Message Therefore, the media has a right to expect law enforcement officials Broadcasters understand that the to be accessible and provide a content of the AMBER Alert mes­ method for reporters to verify in­ sage will have a direct impact on formation gathered during normal the effectiveness of the Alert. Ex­ newsroom operations. Law en­ cept under extraordinary circum­ forcement will find it counter­ stances, an AMBER Alert message productive to request an AMBER should be no longer than one to Alert if no provision is made to four sentences, using the fewest communicate with reporters who words possible without compro­ have legitimate news questions or mising clarity. even information obtained inde­ pendently. Ideally, the message should con­ tain as many of the following ele­ A mechanism should be in place ments as possible: for reporters to communicate to law enforcement any unexpected ✦ Specific information about the needs that could arise once an day, time, and location of the AMBER Alert has been requested. incident and other details if MOU agreements must be flexible available. enough to address issues that arise. 6 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Broadcasters and Other Media Outlets