National Amber Alert Awareness Day

On Friday, January 13, 2006, at 10:30 a.m., the Massachusetts State Police hosted a presentation as part of the National AMBER Alert Awareness Day. Participating during this event at Massachusetts State Police General Headquarters in Framingham were: Statewide Coordinator for the Massachusetts AMBER Alert Plan, Massachusetts State Police Major Marion McGovern; State Police Major Laura Beurman Ellison; Chief Mark F. Leonard, Chief of the Marlborough Police Department; Captain Timothy Naze, Marlborough Police Department; and members of the Borey family - the family which was involved in the Commonwealth's most recent successful AMBER Alert activation. Also present at the event were several members of the Massachusetts AMBER Alert Plan team including important partners from: the local media; MassHighway; the State Police Command Staff; and the State Police Communications Center.

The AMBER Alert Plan unites law enforcement, media outlets, transportation agencies and members of the public in working together to save an abducted child from harm. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a child. Since its inception, 241 children nationwide have been saved from an abductor and brought home safely to their loved ones. The AMBER Alert Plan has proven to be a most effective tool in recovering an abducted child. Due to the consistent and meaningful manner in which it operates, the AMBER Alert program continues to be successful.

Massachusetts is one of 50 states that has a statewide plan. The Massachusetts Child AMBER Alert Plan is a voluntary partnership between the Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, Massachusetts Broadcasters Association, MassHighway, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Massport and MEMA. The goal of this partnership is to quickly disseminate information on an abducted child and/or perpetrator to the public via radio announcements, sign boards and television. To date, a Massachusetts Child AMBER Alert has been activated on eight occasions and every child associated with these activations has been successfully recovered.

Not only does the AMBER Alert Plan bring children home safely, it also acts as a deterrent to individuals who might prey on our children. The AMBER Alert Plan is a very successful tool that law enforcement may utilize to combat the horrific and heartbreaking crimes that our children often face after being abducted. The success of the plan sends a strong message that crime against our children is unacceptable and that as a society, we will work together to track down these perpetrators and recover the children that they intend to harm.

By enlisting the public to help law enforcement agencies find an abducted child, an AMBER Alert is a daunting obstacle to criminals. On many occasions, it has led abductors to release their victims. Ideally, AMBER Alert will become such a familiar name that it will serve as a deterrent to would-be abductors.

The Massachusetts Child AMBER Alert team wants to thank law enforcement officers, the media community, transportation officials and most importantly, the citizens of this Commonwealth who continue to work together to make the Massachusetts Child AMBER Alert Plan a success.

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