Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi have recognized Amber Alert Awareness day. On Saturday, January 13th, they reminded all Kansans that their assistance during an Amber Alert is crucial to law enforcement in locating abducted children. Kobach says the first few hours are the most crucial in recovering the children. Since its inception in 1996, the national program has successfully recovered over 1,100 children. In Kansas 71 children have been brought home safely since it’s start in 2002.
The goal of an Amber Alert is to instantly motivate the entire community to be attentive in case the endangered child is spotted. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. The Amber Alert program is named for 9-year-old Amber Hageman, who was abducted and brutally murdered in the Dallas area in 1996. Her killer was never caught.
