Amber Alert’s Founder Calls for Vital Reforms to Enhance Child Safety
ARLINGTON, Texas – Nearly three decades after its inception, the Amber Alert system, designed to swiftly locate abducted children, faces critical scrutiny from its founder, Diana Simone. The initiative began in 1996, spurred by the tragic kidnapping of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Arlington, where community members and law enforcement desperately sought her return.
Simone now believes that the Amber Alert system has become oversaturated and misapplied. "There’s a distinct difference between an Amber Alert and a missing child report," she stated, emphasizing that the alert was designed for cases of imminent danger or serious bodily harm to a child. Former Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson, who collaborated with Simone on the project, echoed her concerns, noting that some agencies have deviated from the original intent. He recounted a conversation with a law enforcement officer who admitted to using the alert in custody disputes, a misuse that could undermine its credibility.
In the wake of recent tragedies, including the heartbreaking case of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Wise County, new legislation established the ‘Athena Alert’ to further enhance child protection. With a renewed focus on effectiveness, Simone aims to advocate for changes in the Amber Alert criteria and technology. She argued that the current alert system relies on outdated technology that disrupts daily life. Many recipients have disabled the notifications due to their jarring nature, meaning crucial alerts may go unnoticed.
"We said if it gets to be routine, routine kills it," Anderson noted, highlighting the urgency for reform. Both Simone and Anderson are now calling on lawmakers and technology experts to innovate the system, ensuring it can adapt to modern communication needs while maintaining its critical mission to protect children in danger.
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