TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas has announced plans to review its Amber Alert system after a faulty alert this week.
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Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a release Wednesday that he's ordered a review of the state's Amber Alert operations after a Wichita Amber Alert on Tuesday failed to activate on cellphones.
The alert was issued after a woman and three children were reported abducted from their home. An Amber Alert was issued, but Schmidt says a method of broadcasting the Amber Alert by a signal that activates individuals' cellphones failed to activate. The woman and children were later found safe.
Schmidt says KBI Director Kirk Thompson will review of the program and issue a report by January 31.
KBI released the following statement on Wednesday.
The Kansas AMBER Alert program, coordinated by the KBI, is a vitally important tool to aid in the safe return of abducted children. The KBI recognizes that the program must operate with the greatest efficiency possible.
Since the program’s launch in 2002, 35 AMBER alerts have been issued. Of these alerts, 12 were activated at the request of other states in regard to cases occurring in their jurisdictions. Kansas issued the remaining 23 alerts which involved 29 children. All of these children were located safe.
Use of the AMBER Alert program to assist in locating Kansas abducted children is increasing.
So far this year, the KBI has issued eight AMBER alerts, which is more than four times the prior annual average.
It is the KBI’s practice to complete a review of each AMBER Alert in an effort to continually improve the success of AMBER Alert operations. Today, Attorney General Derek Schmidt requested a more comprehensive review of the entire AMBER Alert program. The KBI shares the Attorney General’s commitment to the safety of Kansas children and looks forward to working with its partners to review and strengthen the AMBER Alert program.
