The Amber Alert: A Comparative Analysis Of The Suggested Federal Amber Alert Activation Guidelines And Individual State Activation Criteria

This study focuses on the AMBER Alert system, in particular the criteria that should be present prior to the issuance of an alert. The purpose of this study is to review individual state's AMBER Alert activation criteria as they relate to the suggested federal AMBER Alert activation guidelines. Police department's interpretations of their state's AMBER Alert criteria were also analyzed on a case-by-case basis. The findings of this study suggest that the federal government should ensure that all states use standardized activation criteria that includes confirmation of an abduction prior to an AMBER Alert activation.