AMBER
Alert uses highway changeable message signs, radio, television and cable to immediately
broadcast descriptions of kidnap victims, their abductors, and suspect
vehicles.
Radio and television stations immediately interrupt their programming to
disseminate information. This is done as a public service without commercial
endorsement.
The O.P.P. follow an established protocol to activate the alert, notifying
police communication centres, M.T.O., the media, and other participating
partners in the area in which the child is most likely to be located.
An AMBER Alert is not intended for cases
involving parental abductions or runaways except in life threatening
situations. The duration of an alert will depend on the circumstances
surrounding the abduction and will vary from one incident to the next. In most
cases five hours would be the maximum.
The AMBER Alert is in place to quickly notify the public of the
details of the abduction during the early stages
of the investigation.
Once this is accomplished, the Alert has served
its purpose.
To: Ontario Member of Parliament
Tori's
Law
This petition is to better the Amber Alert. In any case that a child under the
age of 16 goes missing an Amber Alert should be issued without question if the
mother/father/guardian finds it out of character for the child to be missing
for any length of time. A mother/father/guardian knows their child's routine
and when something is out of character they know and feel it. In the case of
Victoria Stafford who went missing April 8th 2009 an Amber alert was never
issued. Police say that in order for an Amber Alert Police must believe the
child is in danger of serious harm and they must have a description of a
suspect or vehicle to broadcast. It usually begins and ends within five hours
of an abduction. An Oxford Community Police spokesperson said an emergency
broadcast alert won't be issued now "because it hasn't just happened. I
cannot stress enough that it does not change the investigation in any way of
how serious it is," Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland said. Over 40 days later a
man and woman have been charged with the murder of 8 year old Victoria
Stafford. Police now search for her remains in the Guelph area. A green car in
police video was wanted for questioning. Had an Amber alert been issued someone
somewhere could have spotted something and Tori could possibly still be alive
today. Please sign this petition so that no other family has to go through the
feeling of helplessness when a child goes missing. There is nothing to lose and
so much to gain by this law that could possibly save many children's lives.
Sincerely,
Before
an alert is initiated, three criteria must be met:
1) Law enforcement
agency confirms a child under 18 years of
age has been abducted;
2) Law enforcement
agency believes the circumstances
surrounding the abduction
indicate that the child is in
danger of serious bodily
harm or death; and
3) There is enough
descriptive information about the child,
abductor, and/or
suspect’s vehicle to believe an immediate
broadcast alert will help
in locating the child.