State Child Abduction Alert System in Place

The first emergency alert system was created and implemented in Arlington, Texas, and named in memory of Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl kidnapped and murdered in 1996. Since then, several states have created similar programs, known as Amber Alert systems.

A statewide program in California, titled Child Abduction Regional Emergency Alert, has been activated twice in the past month.

The California system helped police locate two teenagers Aug. 1 who were found within four hours of their disappearance.

An Amber Alert was issued Aug. 15 in Virginia, when a 9-year-old girl was kidnapped after her parents were found shot to death in the family's home. The girl has yet to be located.

Nevada's alert system was activated Tuesday when 10-year-old Nichole Timmons was abducted. The alert allowed Timmons to reunite with her family five hours after she was kidnapped.

North Carolina's alert system, titled North Carolina Child Alert Notification, is similar to what is in place in California. The system was configured by the N.C. Center for Missing Persons in 1998-99.

It was implemented in four counties in 2000 and has since expanded to 14 different counties -- including Orange and Wake.

John Goad, director of the N.C. Center for Missing Persons, said local law enforcement is charged with first response and will decide if an abduction case qualifies for NC CAN.

If the missing person is a child and is in danger of physical injury or death, the system will be used, he said. Runaways and parental abductions do not qualify.

The alert is less extensive than that in some states, like California, whose alert system incorporates flashing road signs.

The first and only time NC CAN was used was two years ago, when an 18-month-old child from Franklin County was abducted by a baby sitter, said Goad. The alert was activated because the baby sitter was a reported crack user. The toddler was located the same day.

"The system played a major role in finding the abductee," he said. "We know for sure it works but we hope it will never have to be used."

Goad said NC CAN is not well-publicized because it is understaffed and does not yet have the funding to expand the program.

In addition to Goad, there is one staff member for NC CAN, which makes it difficult to operate the program while processing the 11,000 missing person reports it receives per year, he said.

Goad said NC CAN has several volunteer workers, but the organization is looking to the state and federal governments for aid. The N.C. House unanimously passed a bill this week authorizing the N.C. Center for Missing Persons to accept private donations to fund NC CAN.

The donations would be used to install changing signs along N.C. highways that would inform drivers of the whereabouts and physical characteristics of any abductors.

"The bill has overwhelming support in the House," Rep. Art Pope, R-Wake, said. "The Amber Alert system has proved its worth in other states. We want to protect our children."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.