About
The Massachusetts Child AMBER Alert is an emergency alert system that's designed to help recover abducted children. Named after Amber Hagerman, who was abducted and murdered in 1996, the system utilizes the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to interrupt regular programming and broadcast information that could be used to help recover the child. Information is also broadcast on electronic signs along highways and in airports.
Criteria
3 criteria must be met before the State Police will activate the alert:
- A child, 17 years of age or younger, has been abducted
- The child is in danger of serious bodily harm, injury, or death
- There is enough descriptive information to believe that an AMBER Alert may help locate the child
How AMBER Alerts Work
Massachusetts State Police partners with many agencies and organizations to spread word of recent AMBER Alerts. These agencies and organizations include:
- Massachusetts Chiefs of Police
- Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT)
- Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
- The Lottery Commission
- MBTA Transit Police
- National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- Local Media and Broadcasters
Process
