Do you know the story of a girl named Amber? And the Amber Alert?
AMBER HAGERMAN
On January 13, 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, when a neighbor heard her scream. The neighbor saw a man pull Amber off her bike, throw her into the front seat of his pickup truck, and drive away at a high rate of speed. The neighbor called police and provided a description of the suspect and his vehicle. Arlington Police and the FBI interviewed other neighbors and searched for the suspect and vehicle. Local radio and television stations covered the story in their regular newscasts. Four days later, Amber’s body was found about four miles away. Her kidnapping and murder still remain unsolved.
Following her death in 1996, Dallas–Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Protect Act, which established a national AMBER Alert Coordinator within the U.S. Department of Justice.
THE AMBER ALERT PROGRAM
Named in honor of Amber Hagerman, the AMBER Alert program (which stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) is a partnership between the nation’s law enforcement agencies and radio and television stations to activate emergency bulletins to the public when a child is abducted and believed to be in danger. To date, it has helped recover more than 280 missing children since the program began in 1996. To learn more about the AMBER Alert program, visit the website at www.amberalert.gov.
3 Responses
Daniel J
08 Feb 2010
wisesayer89
08 Feb 2010
to answer your question. yes
Kailey
08 Feb 2010
Actually, yes, I did know that story. Very sad that such a horrible thing had to happen for such a great program to be put in place!
Yep. I grew up in Arlington and I was two years older than she was when it happened. I still think about it when I drive by the place where she was abducted.