Why Didn't We See an AMBER Alert for the Missing 3-Year-Old? Let's Talk About the Controversial System
Pondering over the possibility of loosening AMBER alert requirements?
The disappearance of a 3-year-old girl that had authorities on their toes for an entire three days, one might think an AMBER alert would've been a no-brainer, right? But turns out, things aren't always that simple. So, let's dive into the controversial system and explore why the response wasn't as swift as some expected.
The Girl's Disappearance — Not Meeting the Criteria
On Sunday, the authorities announced that the situation didn't match all required elements for an AMBER alert. They emphasized that there was no indication of an abduction taking place. Benoit Richard, the communications captain at the Quebec Provincial Police (SQ), further clarified that they considered the media alert, combined with Operation Filet I, initiated on Wednesday, was the best course of action, given the information they had at hand, at the time of the event.
Could an AMBER Alert Have Helped the Ontario Farmer Earlier?
Captain Richard answered with a firm "no." In order to trigger an alert in another province, there must be substantial evidence to justify it. It wasn't until "around 1 p.m." on Wednesday that the SQ had concrete information about the Eastern Ontario area where the child was eventually found.
Are the Criteria Too Narrow?
The SQ declined to comment on this topic, while the Return Children Network director was unavailable for interviews. Nevertheless, it's been noted that an excessive or inappropriate use of the AMBER alert could prove counterproductive. The public might pay less attention, and valuable police and media resources could be diverted from critical cases. Quebec records approximately 9,000 disappearances of minors under 18 every year, as per the SQ.
The AMBER Alert — Not a magical solution
Findings from a study by Timothy Griffin, an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Reno, reveals that only 21% of AMBER alerts actually had an impact and contributed to finding the child. Griffin has been studying AMBER alerts since the mid-2000s. Most of the children targeted by an AMBER alert are found unharmed, and it doesn't necessarily guarantee the children were in imminent danger.
Loosening the Criteria — Is It Worth It?
The criteria for triggering an AMBER alert are deemed adequate by Griffin, considering the concern for wear on the public since its inception in 1996. Instead of questioning the criteria, one should consider whether the AMBER alert works effectively in truly dangerous cases, as data shows that it doesn't. American research suggests that most children abducted and murdered are killed within the first three hours of the abduction, while few children are found in a timely manner post-AMBER alert.
Changing Criteria — The Debate Continues
In Canada, there have been petitions calling for modifications in cases of missing Indigenous children, as they frequently don't meet the criteria. Meanwhile, in the United States, the state of Texas has adopted a law that allows local police departments to request an AMBER alert for cases that do not meet the criteria, if they deem it necessary. However, the effectiveness of this change is still uncertain, as independent studies on its impact are yet to be published.
In conclusion, AMBER alerts in Canada are launched when a child under 18 is abducted and believed to be in immediate danger, provided there is enough concrete information available to mobilize the public swiftly. While they have been successful in recovering missing children, particularly in high-risk stranger abduction cases, their issuance is carefully controlled to maintain credibility and avoid overuse.
[Enrichment Data: The requirements for triggering an AMBER Alert in Canada include the missing child must be under 18, be believed to have been abducted, be in imminent danger, have sufficient descriptive information available, and be entered into law enforcement databases. The decision is made by a risk manager, often after law enforcement reviews whether the situation meets the criteria. AMBER Alerts are designed to be immediate and widely disseminated, using multiple channels. Statistics indicate they have a strong track record of success, recovering hundreds of children. However, not every case involving a missing child triggers an AMBER alert, often due to lack of evidence of abduction or imminent danger, or insufficient information for effective dissemination.]
The analysis of the AMBER Alert system in Canada, specifically policy-and-legislation, has brought into question whether the criteria for triggering an alert are too narrow, given the number of annual missing minor incidents in the country. Additionally, in the context of crime-and-justice, the discussion revolves around the effectiveness of loosening these criteria in ensuring a speedy response, particularly in cases where children, such as the 3-year-old girl, might be in danger.
