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St. Louis Area
Regional
A.M.B.E.R. Alert*
(S.A.R.A.A.)
“An Area-Wide Cooperative Effort
To Safely Recover Kidnapped Children”
Revised October 2006 by
St. Louis Area Regional Abduction Alert
Committee
Co-Chairmen:
Chief Terry Milam
(St. John, MO Police Department)
Sgt. Jim Dahm (Belleville, IL
Police Department)
John Butler-News Director (KMOX
Radio, News Talk 1120)
(*Effective 01-01-07 the St. Louis
Area Regional Abduction Alert will officially become the St. Louis Area
Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert. The procedures contained within will go
into effect on 01-01-07.)
St. Louis Area Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert
(S.A.R.A.A.)
Mission Statement
The mission of the St. Louis Area
Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert is develop and coordinate the efforts of law
enforcement, media, transportation and other partners in order to increase
public participation in the safe recovery of kidnapped children through targeted
public, law enforcement and media education, increased communication, and the
effective sharing of resources.
St. Louis Area Regional
A.M.B.E.R. Alert (S.A.R.A.A.)
Plan Overview
CONCEPT
Experts
stress that speed is essential in distributing child kidnapping information, as
the first few hours after a kidnapping are the most crucial. According to a
study by the Justice Department, 60% of the kids that are kidnapped are murdered
each year with three quarters of them being killed within the first 4 hours.
Founded in 2001, the St. Louis Area Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert, (S.A.R.A.A.),
(formerly the St. Louis Area Regional Abduction Alert) is an area-wide effort to
safely and quickly recover kidnapped children.
What
is a child kidnapping? Although the legal definition may vary from state
to state a kidnapping can be thought of as a child being unwillingly taken from
their environment without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian
by a person other than a parent of the child. According to the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) there are typically 100-200 of these
reported annually in the United States.
A
kidnapping should not be confused with a parental abduction (also
commonly referred to as a parental kidnapping) which can be defined as the
taking, keeping, or concealing of a child by a parent, someone believed to be
the parent, or person acting on behalf of the parent that deprives another
individual of his or her custody or visitation rights. Parental abductions (of
which according to the NCMEC there are an estimated 203,900 a year) can occur
before or after a court issues a custody determination.
S.A.R.A.A. is a cooperative effort between the
area’s law enforcement, radio and television stations, state highway
departments, wireless service providers, and mass transit provider to find
kidnapped children. Like other A.M.B.E.R. Plans, S.A.R.A.A. calls for
the use of these resources to distribute timely kidnapping information to those
people living in the St. Louis Metropolitan area and southwestern Illinois.
The
goal of this anti-kidnapping plan is the safe and speedy recovery of the
kidnapped child. Through S.A.R.A.A. the public can be given sufficient
descriptive information (via the region’s Emergency Alert System [E.A.S.],
wireless providers’ text messaging systems and Illinois and Missouri Departments
of Transportation message boards) to “be-on-the-lookout” for the child, alleged
kidnapper or the alleged kidnapper’s vehicle and to report any information to
the issuing law enforcement agency immediately. Because of this extensive
coverage, the kidnapper is encouraged to immediately release the child for fear
of being caught.
S.A.R.A.A. is (in addition to being the only two state A.M.B.E.R. program
in the United States) designed specifically to serve all of the 14
counties that are part of the St. Louis EAS Operation. Counties served in
Illinois include: Bond; Clinton; Jersey; Madison; Monroe; Randolph; St. Clair
and Washington. Those in Missouri are: Franklin; Jefferson; Lincoln; St.
Charles; St. Louis; Warren and St. Louis City. Since January 9, 2001, the St.
Louis Area Regional Abduction Alert has been activated 25 times as a result of
the alleged kidnapping of 27 children. Through its use 23 of these children
were safely located.
Those
that were not saved include: one child that was later found dead (S.A.R.A.A #2:
Valley Park, MO/kidnapped and found murdered on 7-26-02), 3 children who are
still missing: S.A.R.A.A. #4: Christian Ferguson (B/M/age 9/St. Louis,
MO/kidnapped 6-11-03), S.A.R.A.A. #12: Bianca Piper (W/F/age 14/Foley,
MO/kidnapped 3-10-05) and S.A.R.A.A. #16: Cermen Toney (B/M/age 4/E. St. Louis,
IL/kidnapped 11-08-05).
PROTOCAL FOR THE
S.A.R.A.A. NOTIFICATION PLAN ACTIVATION
The S.A.R.A.A. plan
requires a participating law enforcement agency to verify specific criteria
prior to sending out a request for a S.A.R.A.A. Notification. An alert may only
be sounded if:
-
The child is 16 years
of age or younger and
-
Police believe
that the child has been kidnapped by a non-parent or eliminated any other
logical reason for the child’s disappearance and
-
Police believe that
the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death
and
-
There is enough descriptive
information about the child, and/or the alleged kidnapper, and/or
the suspect’s vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert could aid in
recovering the child.
-
A child is taken by someone
who is not assumed to be his/her father, mother or lawful custodian
-
A vehicle is stolen or
carjacked, and a child was left inside the vehicle.
-
A child is reported
missing, there is evidence of foul play, and police believe the child was
kidnapped.
The following situations do
not meet the S.A.R.A.A. criteria:
-
Missing children who have
run away from home.
-
Missing children involved
in child custody disputes (parental kidnapping)
-
Missing person is 17 years
of age or older.
-
Police searches for
criminals (murder suspects, bank robbers, etc).
To activate S.A.R.A.A., law enforcement agencies notify KMOX Radio, (the area’s
primary EAS station) by phone and fax about any child kidnapping. KMOX then
verifies the information and activates the EAS to broadcast a S.A.R.A.A.
Notification to all participating media outlets. (In addition to the EAS
alert, the S.A.R.A.A. announcement is distributed to the Bi-State Development
Agency [a.k.a. Metro], the Illinois and Missouri Departments of
Transportation and S.A.R.A.A.’s partners in the area’s wireless service
providers including Cingular Wireless, Sprint/Nextel, Verison, T Mobile and U.S.
Cellular.)
The
S.A.R.A.A. message is intended to encourage the public to look for the kidnapped
child and to call the police immediately if they have any information to assist
in the child’s safe recovery. Citizens are not expected to take “police
action”, and they are advised that they should not attempt to arrest anyone.
This quick and repeated alert coverage on multiple outlets not only raises the
public’s awareness about the kidnapping, but it also encourages the alleged
suspect to immediately release the child for fear of being caught.
Participating radio and
television outlets have agreed to re-broadcast the S.A.R.A.A. a minimum of twice
an hour for the first (4) hours. After that time period, the alert is broadcast
every hour for the next (20) hours. Beyond that, the alert is broadcast at the
discretion of the media.
Information about the kidnapping will also be displayed, as necessary, on the
area’s highway message boards. Also, text messages detailing the kidnapping
will be sent by the region’s cellular phone users that have registered either
with the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative (www.wirelessamberalerts.org)
or with their wireless service provider.
If
updated information is received about the kidnapped child or alleged suspect,
law enforcement re-contacts KMOX and requests that a S.A.R.A.A. Update be
issued. Updates will be broadcast by local media at least twice an hour for the
next two hours.
When
the child is found, the law enforcement agency will notify KMOX to broadcast a
S.A.R.A.A. Cancellation. The S.A.R.A.A. Cancellation will then be
broadcast once by participating media outlets.
After
an alert the S.A.R.A.A. Plan Committee (whose founders include Chief Terry
Milam-City of St. John, MO. PD, Sgt. Jim Dahm-Belleville, IL. PD, and
John Butler-News Director, KMOX Radio, St. Louis MO.) will meet as needed
to review the activation and modify the St. Louis Area Regional Abduction Alert
plan if necessary.
Questions and Answers
Q:
What is the St. Louis Area Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert?
A:
Formerly the St. Louis Area Regional Abduction Alert S.A.R.A.A., (pronounced
“Sarah”) was implemented on January 9, 2001. It is a cooperative effort among
the broadcast media, local law enforcement and their partners in the Greater St.
Louis metropolitan area and southwestern Illinois that assists in providing
child kidnapping information to the general public.
Q: Why is this program necessary?
A:
According to the Department of Justice, the first 4
hours after a child has been kidnapped are the most critical. The S.A.R.A.A.
message will encourage the public to be-on-the-lookout for the kidnapped child,
and call the police immediately if they have any information to assist in the
child’s safe recovery. These messages also will encourage the kidnapper to
release the child immediately for fear of being caught.
Q: How will the broadcast media obtain the information about a child kidnapping?
A:
Information about the kidnapping will be sent to the
area’s primary EAS station (KMOX News Talk 1120). Once notified, KMOX will alert
other area media outlets.
Q: Is there a
need for the S.A.R.A.A. with the implementation of the statewide Illinois and
Missouri Amber Alerts?
A:
Yes, these programs will complement each other and, as a result, the S.A.R.A.A.
will continue to serve the St. Louis Metropolitan area for which it was
specifically designed.
Q: If I see a kidnapped child, should I take action
and try to apprehend the alleged suspect?
A: Citizens are not expected
to take “police action”, and they should not attempt to apprehend or arrest
anyone. They should notify the police immediately instead.
Q. I understand that members of the public can
receive S.A.R.A.A. over their cellphones. How do I sign-up?
A. Interested individuals can
sign-up at
www.wirelessamberalerts.org or on their wireless providers home page.
Q: Can this program truly be successful and
actually save a life?
A: Yes. Since January 9,
2001, twenty-five S.A.R.A.A. activations have resulted from the alleged
kidnapping of 27 children, 23 of whom were safely located.
St. Louis
Area Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert
Procedures
Purpose:
To establish proper and consistent procedures
to be followed in the event of a child kidnapping with the intent to provide the
greatest chance for the safe return of the abducted child and the quick
apprehension of the suspect.
Background Information:
The initial 4 hours after the reported
kidnapping of a child are the most critical. Through the use of local radio and
television broadcasters, Illinois and Missouri Department of Transportation
message boards and the region’s wireless service providers S.A.R.A.A. has the
ability to assist law enforcement by providing timely information to the greater
St. Louis metropolitan area and southwestern Illinois concerning a child
kidnapping. This quick and repeated coverage concerning the child, alleged
suspect and/or the alleged suspect’s vehicle on multiple outlets not only raises
public awareness but also encourages the alleged suspect to release the child
for fear of being captured.
Law Enforcement Procedures
I. Confirm a child
kidnapping.
A. Prior to
calling for a S.A.R.A.A. activation law enforcement must interview the family
member/person who made the initial report and confirm that the child is missing.
B. Verify the child’s custody status.
C.
Identify/evaluate the circumstances of the child’s disappearance.
II. Review Alert Protocol.
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The law enforcement agency is responsible for
making the decision to activate the
S.A.R.A.A. This decision must be made as quickly as
possible after reviewing the facts and circumstances of the incident. During
cases involving missing children officers often feel pressured to “do something”
even though it might not be appropriate. In order to maintain the integrity of
the program, the law enforcement agency must verify that the incident meets the
following S.A.R.A.A. protocol:
1. The child is 16 years of age or younger and
2. Law enforcement believes the child has been kidnapped as defined in 720 ILCS
5/10-1(a) (1-3), 720 ILCS 5/10-2 (a)(1-5) or 720 ILCS 5/10-5(b)(10) or Missouri
Statute 565.110 and
3. Law enforcement believes that the child is in
danger of serious bodily harm or
death
and
4.
There
is enough descriptive information about the child, and/or alleged
kidnapper (also referred to as a person of
interest), and/or the alleged kidnapper’s vehicle to believe an immediate
broadcast alert in the St. Louis metropolitan area and southwestern Illinois
would be helpful in locating the kidnapped child.
(How
much descriptive information must be available before a S.A.R.A.A. can be
activated? Although each situation is unique, a general rule of thumb is that
if there is not enough information to request an I.S.P.E.R.N. broadcast in
Illinois or a Point-To-Point regional broadcast in Missouri there is not enough
information available to request a S.A.R.A.A.)
- To ensure that the
criteria are met, complete the S.A.R.A.A. QUESTIONNAIRE WORKSHEET.
(An example of the statements on the worksheet can be found on page 12.)
C.
If all of the statements on the EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE are not answered
“YES” the criteria listed above is not met and a S.A.R.A.A. should
not be requested. (In the case of a parental abduction the
Parental Abduction Media Alert Procedure found in Section X may be used.)
III. Activate S.A.R.A.A
A.
If the answer to all
of the questions on the EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE is
“YES” complete the S.A.R.A.A.
NOTIFICATION MESSAGE fax cover sheet and the INCIDENT
SUMMARY form (containing the details of the incident, personal
characteristics of the child and alleged suspect and a description of the
alleged suspect’s vehicle).
B. Call the KMOX news editor to
notify KMOX that a S.A.R.A.A. notification fax is being faxed to them.
C. Fax the S.A.R.A.A.
Notification Message fax cover sheet, the Evaluation Questionnaire and the
Incident Summary form to KMOX. (Note: It is important that a contact number for
the supervisor requesting the S.A.R.A.A. be included on the fax form because
this officer needs to be available immediately to answer any questions that KMOX
news director might have concerning the requested S.A.R.A.A.)
D. KMOX’s news editor
will review the fax and confirm that that the questions on the S.A.R.A.A.
Evaluation Questionnaire have all been answered “YES” (thereby ensuring that of
the S.A.R.A.A. criteria have been met) and verify that the fax contains all the
information needed to issue a S.A.R.A.A. The news editor will use the
facilities of KMOX to place the S.A.R.A.A. into proper EAS. format. (The news
editor may change the wording of the message, but not the facts, to ensure that
the message is clear, concise, and complete.)
E. The news editor will call
the requesting law enforcement supervisor back to acknowledge receipt of the
fax, ask any additional questions to ensure the completeness of the S.A.R.A.A.
broadcast, and to obtain the supervisor’s approval of the final wording of the
S.A.R.A.A.
G. In the event that a parental
abduction occurs, the St. Louis County Police Department is available to assist
in distributing the details of the incident to the St. Louis media. (See
Section X. Parental Abduction Media Alert Procedure.)
IV. Crisis management.
A. The reporting agency is
cautioned to ensure that they are properly staffed to handle the large volume of
incoming telephone calls and leads that will result from a S.A.R.A.A. The
telephone number given to the public must be a one capable of handling multiple
incoming calls.
B. A recent photograph of the
missing child/alleged abductor should be obtained with the intent of
transmitting it to all television and print media outlets in the St. Louis
Metropolitan area.
A. When updated information
about the child or alleged suspect becomes available, timely updates should be
faxed to KMOX.
B. Once the child is found or
the case is closed, the investigating agency must cancel the S.A.R.A.A. by
calling KMOX direct and then faxing a S.A.R.A.A. Cancellation directly to
KMOX detailing the recovery or closure information.
VI. Alerting other law
enforcement agencies.
Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to distribute information relating to
the kidnapping to all Illinois and Missouri law enforcement agencies. This can
be done by utilizing LEADS and NLETS to send a directed message to the Illinois
State Police Headquarters in Springfield, IL and the Missouri Highway Patrol
Headquarters in Jefferson City, MO and requesting that the information be
distributed statewide.
VII. Using Illinois and Missouri A.M.B.E.R. alerts.
Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to
utilize their own state A.M.B.E.R. alerts after they have issued a
S.A.R.A.A.
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Illinois: The Illinois A.M.B.E.R. Alert
can be used in conjunction with a S.A.R.A.A. alert by first issuing the
S.A.R.A.A. and then completing the front sheet of the Illinois AMBER
Alert fax form and then faxing it and the S.A.R.A.A. fax forms to the
Illinois State Police. An I.S.P. Amber Alert Fax Pack can be
obtained by contacting the nearest I.S.P. District headquarters or at:
http://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/amber.htm.
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Missouri: The Missouri AMBER Alert can be
used in conjunction with a S.A.R.A.A.
by first issuing the S.A.R.A.A.
and then completing the Missouri AMBER Alert Abduction Form
(available from the Missouri Highway Patrol) and faxing it to the Missouri
State Highway Patrol Communications.
VIII. Entry into NCIC
The kidnapped child’s name and other
critical data should be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC)
as quickly as possible using the appropriate AMBER N.C.I.C. message key. This
will alert both the F.B.I. and the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children. They will in-turn contact the originating law enforcement agency to
offer their assistance.
IX. Additional Information.
A.
Any questions regarding S.A.R.A.A.,
should be directed (in Illinois) to the Belleville
Police Department (618) 234-1212 or (in Missouri)
the St. John City Police Department (314) 427-8706.
C. Law enforcement agencies
are encouraged to incorporate the S.A.R.A.A. guidelines into their department’s
child kidnapping protocol and train appropriate personnel in S.A.R.A.A.
procedures. Questions regarding training should be directed to the S.A.R.A.A.
Committee law enforcement co-chairs.
X. Parental Abduction
Media Alert Procedure.
In the event that a parental abduction occurs, the St. Louis
County Police Department is available to assist in distributing the details of
the incident to the St. Louis media. This can be done by first calling their
Communications Center and alerting them that a fax is being sent and then faxing
the S.A.R.A.A. MEDIA NOTIFICATION REQUEST fax cover sheet on page 16
along with the INCIDENT DETAILS form to them.
St. Louis Area Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert
Media Procedures
Purpose:
To establish proper and consistent procedures
to be followed in the event of a child kidnapping with the intent to provide the
greatest chance for the safe return of the abducted child and the quick
apprehension of the suspect.
Background Information:
KMOX-AM 1120 is
designated the primary Emergency Alert System (EAS) station for the St. Louis
Metropolitan area.
The S.A.R.A.A. plan
adopted in this area allows participating law enforcement agencies to request
activation of the Emergency Alert System for a S.A.R.A.A. notification as a
“Civil Emergency Message” (CEM). This is the same category used by city and
county offices of emergency management for flood or hurricane evacuations,
hazardous material releases, etc. that require public protective measures.
Unlike routine weather
watches and warnings, other radio/TV stations will not have quick, easy access
to the text of the S.A.R.A.A., so KMOX will relay the S.A.R.A.A message to other
participating media outlets using the broadcast fax system.
KMOX Procedures:
A.
A law
enforcement supervisor will call the news editor on duty at KMOX-AM 1120 to
notify him/her that a S.A.R.A.A.
Notification is being faxed.
B.
KMOX’s news editor will review the fax to ensure that all 7
S.A.R.A.A. Evaluation
Questions have all been answered “YES”and
verify that the fax contains all the information needed to issue a S.A.R.A.A.
Notification and activate EAS.
C. The news editor will call
back the law enforcement supervisor to acknowledge receipt of the fax, to ask
any additional questions that might be necessary to ensure that the S.A.R.A.A.
information is completely understood, and to obtain the supervisor’s approval of
the final wording of the S.A.R.A.A. message to be broadcast on KMOX and
distributed by broadcast fax.
D.
KMOX
will then fax the S.A.R.A.A. to all participating radio/television stations, the
Bi-State Development Agency, and the
Wireless AMBER Alerts.
E. KMOX
will then fax the S.A.R.A.A. to the Illinois and Missouri Departments of
Transportation so that a child kidnapping
alert may be put on their message boards.
G. As
updated information about the case is available the law enforcement
supervisor should call the KMOX news editor, then fax a S.A.R.A.A. Fax Form
marked “Update” providing the updated information.
H.
The
KMOX news editor will follow the same procedures outlined above to write a
S.A.R.A.A. update, send it to the
participating agencies, and broadcast the update on KMOX. If any S.A.R.A.A.
update is received during the initial four hour time period, no further EAS
activation is required. KMOX will repeat any S.A.R.A.A. update message at least
twice an hour for the next two hours after reception.
I. When
the child is found or the case is closed, the law enforcement supervisor will
cancel the S.A.R.A.A. notification by
calling KMOX then faxing a S.A.R.A.A. Fax Form marked “Cancellation” providing
recovery or closure information.
K. The KMOX news director will
then fax the S.A.R.A.A. to the chairmen of the S.A.R.A.A. Committee for their
review within 72 hours of the alert.
All 7 questions must be answered “YES” to activate
the St. Louis Area Regional AMBER Alert.
1.
Is the child is 16 years of age or younger?
2.
Has
the child was taken without the permission of his/her parent/lawful custodian?
3.
Does
law enforcement believes that the child was kidnapped (as defined by State
statute) or has law enforcement eliminated alternative explanations for the
child’s disappearance?
4.
Is the
alleged kidnapper not a parent (either documented or assumed) of the child?
5.
Does
law enforcement believe that the child is in danger of death or serious bodily
harm?
6. Is there enough
descriptive information about the child, and/or the alleged
kidnapper, and/or the alleged kidnapper’s vehicle to believe an
immediate broadcast alert could possibly assist in finding the child?
7. Is it believed that the
child and kidnapper are possibly still in or near the St. Louis metropolitan
area, eastern Missouri or southwestern Illinois?
St. Louis Area Regional A.M.B.E.R. Alert
(S.A.R.A.A.)
Committee Members
Anyone interested in serving as a member of the St. Louis Area Regional
A.M.B.E.R. Alert Committee should contact either Chairperson Terry Milam
(314-427-8706) or Chairperson Jim Dahm (618-234-1212).
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