BC Amber Alert

BC’s Amber Alert is a tool used by the police in certain child abduction situations to assist in the search for the child and suspect.

Amber Alert is a province-wide, innovative partnership among the province's law enforcement community, media broadcasting agencies and the pubic to locate abducted children.

When an Amber Alert is issued, radio and TV audiences will hear a special announcement. It is hoped that this early warning system will not only coerce a kidnapper into releasing the child for fear of being arrested but also deter the person from committing the crime in the first place.

With a positive outcome, RCMP in Port Alberni disseminated BC’s first AMBER Alert on March 15, 2006.

Why Was the AMBER Plan Created?

The AMBER Plan was created in 1996 as a powerful legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, a bright little girl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas.

The tragedy shocked and outraged the entire community. Residents contacted radio stations in the Dallas area and suggested they broadcast special “alerts” over the airwaves so that they could help prevent such incidents in the future.

In response to the community’s concern for the safety of local children, the Dallas/Fort Worth Association of Radio Managers teamed up with local law-enforcement agencies in northern Texas and developed this innovative early warning system to help find abducted children. Statistics show that, when abducted, a child’s greatest enemy is time.

Criteria for Activating an AMBER Alert

Law enforcement agencies are required to ensure that the following conditions are met before activating an AMBER Alert:

• The victim is under the age of 18
• Police have reasonable grounds to believe that the victim has been abducted
• Police have reasonable grounds to believe the victim is in imminent danger
• Police have obtained enough description information about the victim, abductor or an involved vehicle
• Police believe that the alert can be issued in a time frame that would provide a reasonable expectation that the child could be returned or the abductor could be apprehended.

If ALL of the above criteria are NOT met, an AMBER Alert will NOT be activated.

AMBER Alert Guidelines

• AMBER Alert is only activated by law enforcement agencies.
• AMBER Alert is intended only for the most serious, time-critical child abduction cases.

AMBER Alert is not intended for cases involving parental abductions, except in life-threatening situations.

What to do when an AMBER Alert is activated

The public plays a critical role in the success of the BC AMBER Alert Program.

When an AMBER Alert is activated:

• You will hear a special message on local radio and TV Stations
• Watch for the child, suspect and/or the vehicle described in the AMBER Alert
• Immediately report any sightings and provide as much information as possible to the police by calling 911 or your local agency.

For your safety and the safety of the child – do not approach or intervene!

Talk Safety

Parents should talk to their children about safety on a regular basis. Here are some ways you can keep kids safe:

• Check all potential babysitters and older friends of your child
• Never leave your child alone in a public place, stroller or car – Not even for a minute.
• In a public place always accompany young children to the washroom
• Remind them to play in an area where you can see them.
• Always accompany your child on door to door activities, i.e. Halloween, school fundraising campaigns, etc.
• Create an environment in which the child feels free to talk to you. Let him/her know that you are interested and sensitive to their fears.
• Avoid labeling clothing and toys with your child’s name. A child is less likely to fear someone who knows his/her name
• Keep an up-to-date colour photograph of your child, a medical and dental history and your child’s fingerprint
• Make sure you know what your child is doing on the Internet

For further information, please contact

Kelowna RCMP Detachment
Address: 50 Doyle Ave
Kelowna, BC V1Y 6V7
Phone: (250) 762-3300
Hours: Mon - Fri 7 am - 8 pm
Saturday 8 am - 4 pm
Sunday Closed