TSA to Distribute AMBER Alerts at 450 Airports
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it is partnering with
the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC) to provide
AMBER Alerts at airports across the country. Federal security directors
(FSDs) and 43,000 transportation security officers (TSOs) nationwide will
actively join the effort to stop child abductors.
"To date 318 children have been recovered as a result of the AMBER
Alert program," said Ernie Allen, NCMEC's president and CEO. "We believe
that by partnering with TSA we can provide an even larger distribution
outlet for AMBER Alerts and help to reunite even more children with their
families."
TSA will distribute AMBER Alert messages through the communications
system of the national Transportation Security Operations Center (TSOC). As
soon as NCMEC is notified that an AMBER Alert has been issued by law
enforcement, the TSOC will relay that information to FSDs at relevant
airports. FSDs will receive information such as photos and descriptions of
the abducted child, the suspect and vehicle.
"Our 43,000 TSOs come in direct contact with 2 million passengers each
day," said Kip Hawley, TSA administrator. "By putting TSOs on alert to a
potential child abduction, we greatly increase the effectiveness of the
AMBER Alert distribution, particularly in our nation's airports. This
initiative represents yet another way in which TSA can utilize its
professional officers to assist the nation in securing the homeland."
The AMBER Alert program, named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, is a
voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies, broadcasters and
transportation agencies that activates an urgent bulletin in the most
serious child abduction cases. The goal is to instantly galvanize the
entire community in the search for and safe recovery of the child.
"AMBER Alerts are a critical part of the rapid response needed when a
child is missing. The widespread use of the AMBER Alert network makes it
the nation's most powerful tool for bringing abducted children home," said
Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice
Programs and the National AMBER Alert coordinator. "The Department of
Justice is proud to work with TSA and NCMEC in alerting the public and
raising awareness of AMBER Alerts."
President Bush authorized the national AMBER Alert initiative as part
of the PROTECT Act signed in 2003. The law formally established the federal
government's role in the AMBER Alert program, appointing the Department of
Justice (DOJ) as the agency responsible for coordinating AMBER Alert
programs on the national level. DOJ has officially partnered with NCMEC,
authorizing them as the agent that coordinates and disseminates AMBER
Alerts to secondary distributors.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a
reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than
419,400 leads. Since 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more
than 125,200 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than
107,600 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free,
24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its Web site at
http://www.missingkids.com.
Media Contact: TSA Public Affairs
(571) 227-2829
SOURCE Transportation Security Administration
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Related links:
http://www.tsa.gov
http://www.missingkids.com
CONTACT:
TSA Public Affairs, +1-571-227-2829
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