Child Rescue Alert

Introduction

This scheme originated in the United States of America in 1996 with the unsolved abduction and murder of 9 year old Amber Hagerman in Texas and was given the title of ‘Amber Alert’. The scheme was seen to have value and introduced in a number of states.

In 2002, the scheme was introduced to the UK as a pilot in Sussex and given the title ‘Child Rescue Alert’. It was subsequently implemented in Surrey, Hampshire and Leicestershire.

Purpose

The scheme is intended to be used within a tightly defined set of criteria in relation to the abduction of a child and these criteria must be consistently adhered to wherever the scheme is introduced in the UK. Diverging from them will cause confusion and devalue the scheme.

These criteria and their use are set out below. The scheme must also have a national identity and format that only varies with the identification of the force in whose area it is being used and any minor modifications that enable it to conform to individual force policies and procedures. Child Rescue Alert is a fast response scheme designed to save a child from harm and should be used in the first few hours of a suspected abduction. Any arrests are secondary to this purpose but may result from these actions.

This scheme relies on a close partnership with the media who will broadcast the alert via radio and TV. Experience has shown that the policy that works best is to keep the scheme as simple as possible. It may be possible in the future, however, to employ more elaborate methods of disseminating the alerts.

How the scheme works

When information is received by the police that indicates a child has been abducted the following procedures must be followed:

• Does the information fit the criteria for use (see below – CRITERIA for issuing an alert);
• Authorisation sought to implement an alert;
• Alert text written;
• Media informed in accordance with agreed protocols;
• Call handling procedures implemented for receipt of calls in response to the alert;
• Assessment of calls received;
• Response to calls;
• Update of alert where applicable;
• Cancellation of alert.