What is the story behind the Amber Alert?

AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnaped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, TX, and then brutally murdered. Other states and communities soon set up their own AMBER plans as the idea was adopted across the nation.

Was Amber Hagerman’s body found?

That’s how long it took for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman to be abducted after leaving her grandmother’s home to ride her bike. The Texas girl’s body was found four days later in a creek bed a few miles away. Amber’s throat had been cut. Her killer has never been found.

How was Amber Hagerman kidnapped?

On January 13, 1996, Amber Hagerman rode her bike into the parking lot of an abandoned grocery store. A man in a black pickup truck got out, forcefully took Amber off of her bike, and stuffed her into the cab of the truck. He called the police shortly after seeing Amber’s abduction.

Is the Amber Alert movie based on a true story?

Amber Alert (aka Amber’s Story) The true story behind the Amber Alert. After the kidnap and murder of her 9-year-old daughter Amber Hagerman, Donna Whitson campaigns for a nationwide alert to help authorities locate abducted children.

How did the AMBER Alert System get its name?

The idea stuck. Broadcasters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area partnered with local law enforcement to alert viewers and listeners to child abductions. Since 1996, the AMBER Alert system, named after Amber Hagerman, went nationwide. Experts believe that more than 800 children were found safe thanks to the alert system as of December 2015.

Why did Amber Hagerman not get an AMBER Alert?

A lack of information and other witnesses following the abduction may have slowed any progress in finding Amber. Wikimedia Commons The AMBER Alert logo. Shortly after Amber’s funeral, Diane Simone, a mom herself, called into a local radio station. She had an idea.

How many children have been recovered from AMBER Alerts?

© Blend Images/Shutterstock.com ( see reuse policy ). Today, the AMBER Alert system is being used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian country, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 30 other countries. As of September 2019, a total of 967 children had been successfully recovered through the AMBER Alert system.

How are the AMBER Alerts broadcast in Canada?

The alerts are broadcast using the Emergency Alert System, which had previously been used primarily for weather bulletins, civil emergencies, or national emergencies. In Canada, alerts are broadcast via Alert Ready, a Canadian emergency warning system. Alerts usually contain a description of the child and of the likely abductor.