Recently we’ve had a lot of questions regarding when AMBER Alerts are issued.  An AMBER Alert is a nationwide alert system, and in Alaska is run by the Department of Public Safety.  Very specific criteria must be met before an AMBER Alert can be sent.  The three most important criteria are:

·         There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred, and the abducted person is 17 years old or younger.

·         The involved law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.

·       There is enough descriptive information available about the victim, the suspect, and/or the suspect’s vehicle to assist with the safe recovery of the victim and/or apprehension of the suspect.

Thankfully, the Anchorage Police Department has rarely come across situations in which we believe a child has been abducted.  Almost always the missing juvenile reports we take involve children who have left home under their own power.  When we locate these kids, we do investigate to find out why the child does not want to be at home.  If we discover the situation at home is unsafe, we take the appropriate steps to remedy that situation which may include involving the Office of Children’s Services (OCS).

Whenever APD responds to a report of a missing child, we make every effort to locate that child ourselves and we are oftentimes successful.  If we are unable to find the juvenile, we take a missing persons report and enter that juvenile as missing in our statewide database (APSIN – Alaska Public Safety Information Network) as well as the nationwide database (NCIC – National Crime Information Center).  In cases where there are extenuating circumstances, or just due to the child’s age (13 and younger), we will ask for the public’s help in locating them. 

An incredible amount of police resources is dedicated to finding missing people, especially children who are 13 or younger or those who have additional risk factors.  This includes officers going door-to-door in neighborhoods, visiting area businesses, involving the Anchorage School District (ASD), and deploying detectives among many other actions and resources.  For the younger and at-risk kids, with very few exceptions, these efforts do not stop until the child is found.  There have been cases wherein the investigation has extended over several shifts and multiple hours/days.  In some instances, the Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team (JCARD) is deployed which is comprised of members from the Anchorage Police Department (APD), Alaska State Troopers (AST), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In 2022, Anchorage Police took just under 300 missing juvenile reports.  Reducing that number requires the help of the community.  First and foremost, it is important that parents/guardians know where their children are.  If your child is at a friend’s house, know the address of that house, the parents’ names and contact information.  Have a conversation with those parents so you know what your kid will be doing while there and who will be in the house with them.  If you have kids who bring a friend home, and you have not spoken with that friend’s parents, you need to do that right away.  Many runaway children “couch surf” with friends, and they get away with it because the adults at those locations don’t ask questions.  This includes the little kids who go to a friend’s house “just to play” but stay there for hours.

Finally, contrary to what is often portrayed on television, you do NOT have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing whether the missing person is a juvenile or an adult.  Do your due diligence and attempt to locate the person on your own.  If those attempts are unsuccessful, then call police.  In situations where you are concerned the missing person may be in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 right away.

For more information on AMBER Alerts, please visit https://amberalert.alaska.gov/Criteria.  For Anchorage Police releases, visit Nextdoor, AnchoragePolice.com, Facebook, and RAVE.