Would you be in-the-know if a child was abducted and be able to recognize him or her? Today is National Missing Children’s Day and police agencies in Nova Scotia are encouraging citizens to sign-up up for wireless and Facebook notifications so you can help a child or vulnerable person if they are abducted.
AMBER Alerts give the public up-to-date information about an abduction by using widespread media and social media broadcasts and soliciting the public’s help to locate the child or vulnerable person. To qualify as an AMBER Alert, police must be looking for a person under 18 years old or someone with a proven mental or physical disability. Police must believe the person is in immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death and there must be information available describing the abducted person, abductor or suspect vehicle. Thankfully, police agencies have never had to issue an AMBER Alert in Nova Scotia.
How to prepare for an AMBER Alert
- If a child is abducted, spreading the information quickly is critical. Register at www.wirelessamber.cato receive AMBER Alerts via text message to your mobile device.
- Follow the AMBER Alert Nova Scotia Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/AmberAlertNSAlerteAmberNE/ to receive Alerts via your Facebook feed.
How to help in an AMBER Alert
- If police issue an AMBER Alert:
o Watch for the child, vulnerable person, suspect and vehicle described in the Alert.
o Should you have information on the location of the abduction, a description of the victim, suspect or vehicle involved, report it immediately to police by calling 911 or the number listed in the Alert.
o Do not call 911 to request information about the abduction as this clogs emergency phone lines.
Background: The Nova Scotia AMBER Alert program launched on National Missing Children’s Day in 2004 as a partnership between law enforcement agencies, media outlets and the public to activate an urgent appeal for information in the most serious child or vulnerable person abduction cases. In May 2015, police launched the AMBER Alert Nova Scotia Facebook page.
Source: Media Release
