Observing 26 years of the AMBER Alert Network

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - It’s been 26 years since 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas. The AMBER Alert network was created after her tragic death to provide emergency broadcast messages to the public when law enforcement determines that a child has been abducted.

Every year on Jan. 13, the U.S. Department of Justice, AMBER Alert Coordinators at the state, regional, tribal, and local levels, state Missing Children Clearinghouses and AMBER Alert partners observe National AMBER Alert Awareness Day in honor of Amber Hagerman and the establishment of a national AMBER Alert Program by the U.S. Department of Justice.

AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

AMBER Alert broadcasts often include information about the child and the abductor, including physical descriptions and information about the abductor’s vehicle, which could lead to the child’s recovery.

To date, 1,085 children across the country have been successfully recovered as a result of the AMBER Alert Program.

Here in the Brazos Valley, AMBER Alert Network Brazos Valley has partnered with law enforcement and local media outlets to provide important information through its regional notification program since 2003. Additionally, the Brazos Valley Child Abduction Response Team (BVCART) was formed in 2010 and continues to train and work with local law enforcement agencies, emergency services personnel, search and rescue teams, and other first responders to prepare for child abductions or missing child emergencies.

“We believe that everybody matters. Everybody is loved. And everybody is missed. In our communities, we need to do everything we can to bring that person home,” AANBV Executive Director Chuck Fleeger said.

AANBV is conducting its 12th Annual Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest for area 5th graders and continues to receive entries through local schools. The entries will be judged at the local level and the top three will be forwarded to the Statewide judging conducted by the Texas Center for the Missing.

To learn more about how you can play a role in bringing these missing children home, watch the full interview with AANBV Executive Director Chuck Fleeger below:

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