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  • Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gregoire declares today Amber Alert day

For Immediate Release: January 13, 2010

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire declared today as Amber Alert Day to promote citizen participation in this valuable tool for locating abducted children.

�Every second counts when a child is abducted,� Gregoire said. �We must quickly notify the public about an abduction, to improve our chances of capturing the perpetrator and recovering that child unharmed. Mobilizing the public�s eyes and ears can make a difference when a child�s life is at stake.�

The Amber Alert plan was created as a legacy to nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered on January 13th, 1996 while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. Since then, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have joined it. The nationwide nature of the alerts helps law enforcement agencies coordinate searches when suspects are believed to have left their home states.

�When a young person is abducted, we know that time is our enemy,� said Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste. �We ask the public to get involved because information and tips can be very helpful in finding that missing child.�

Washington broadcasters, law enforcement and state agencies partnered to develop the first statewide Amber Alert plan in April 2004. An updated alerting system is scheduled for implementation in early 2010, and as before at no cost to Washington. Citizens, local law enforcement agencies and the media receive email alerts, text messages or faxes so word goes out as quickly as possible. The alerts can be sent to mobile phones and pagers if the recipient desires that.

Washington normally averages about six to seven Amber Alerts a year �however, the trend is decreasing with only one alert in 2008 and four in 2009. This matches a similar trend of decreasing AMBER Alerts nation wide from 275 alerts in 2005, 261 in 2006, 227 in 2007 and 194 in 2009. Amber Alerts in Washington can be activated by law enforcement agencies when they believe an abducted child under 18 is in danger of injury or death.

Gregoire urges interested citizens to sign up for the alerts by going to http://www.washingtonamberalert.com/.