July 20, 2004
Technology to Widen Reach of Amber Alerts
A new technology debuting in 12 states will significantly extend Amber alerts, reaching cell phones, e-mail and handheld computers, and could also be used to transmit weather and terrorism alerts, reports the Associated Press.
"Using the new system, people with cell phones can sign up for Amber alerts in with county or state authorities. The text of an alert can be shot immediately to local TV news programs' Web sites, with automatic updates".
"Amber alerts were created after the 1997 kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas".
Related services and articles:
-- SMS-Alert finds missing little Dutch boy - Only a month old, the SMS-Alert service in De Reeshof - a neighbourhood in the Dutch city of Tilburg - has already started reaping rewards: it helped track down a missing eight-year-old local boy on Sunday.
-- Nextel develops free text-based AMBER Alert offering - Wireless alerts would be transmitted via text message to customers in relevant geographic areas, based on area code.
-- SMS harnassed in kidnap case - Ten thousand eBlockwatch members received an SMS on Sunday morning containing information on Leigh Matthews – who was kidnapped outside Bond University in Sandton (South Africa) on Friday. (July 2004).
-- Arizona expands Amber Alert to SMS - The Arizona AMBER alert system for child abduction notifications is expanding its distribution system so that people can receive them by e-mail and text messaging. (June 2004).
-- Cell phones may get call to fight crime - Police systems that send text messages to cell phone users shortly after a crime gets mixed reviews. (November 2003).
-- Text used to report missing children - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), along with the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Governments, have launched a website for missing children and other persons below 18 (November 2003).
-- Amber Alerts to transmit on cell phones - Amber Alerts, a US nationwide network to help find missing children, should go nationwide by next year, according to a a Justice Department official. (August 2003).
-- Child rescue alert by SMS - first run - Missing 6 year-old Summer Haipule prompted Sussex police to launch the first ever child rescue alert in Europe. Modelled on the US "Amber Alert" (July 2003).
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2004/07/004591.htm