What’s the Meaning Behind These Statewide Alert Programs?

Anyone with a cell phone these days is well aware of statewide alerts like the AMBER Alert, but what about the others out there that we see?

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AMBER Alert

We've all seen these from time to time, heartbreakingly so. The first child abduction alert to be issued was in January of '96 when 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and, four days later, found dead.

In efforts to mitigate further harm to children, the first AMBER Alert was created in honor of Amber Hagerman and her tragic story.

Not everyone may know, but AMBER is an acronym for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

There are specific criteria for the state to issue a formal AMBER Alert, such as the child must be under the age of 17, the child is assumed to be in immediate danger, and there is enough information to gather public support in locating them.

CLEAR Alert

These alerts are quite new, having been first enacted in 2019. These are for missing adults (ages 19 - 64)  that local law enforcement are asking the public to help find. Another acronym honoring victims of violence, CLEAR stands for Cayley Mandadi, D'Lisa Kelley, Erin Castro, Ashanti Billie, and the Rest.

Silver Alert

Created in 2007, Silver Alerts notify the public of a person, 65 years or older with a documented mental condition, who has gone missing.

Blue Alert

Blue Alerts were first created in April of '08 by Texas Gov. Rick Perry to speed the apprehension of fleeing criminals who have wounded and/or killed law enforcement officers.

Blue Alerts can only be sent out as long as the offender poses a serious safety risk to others and only if there is enough information on the escaping vehicle for which the public to be on the look out.

Others

There are more alerts out there, some just less common than others. It's important to know what each means so you are aware of any local threats or missing persons.

Check out the Texas DPS site for more info on the different types of alerts out there.