Media Contact:  Aileen Zerrudo
Weber Shandwick
415-248-3411/azerrudo@webershandwick.com


BEYONDMISSING SURVEY FINDINGS UNCOVER
MYTHS AND REALITIES OF AMBER ALERT SYSTEM

Non-profit organization identifies critical gaps in system effectiveness across state borders

GREENBRAE, Calif. (October 7, 2003) – BeyondMissing, Inc., a federally funded, non-profit organization whose singular mission is to beat the clock and help in the recovery of missing children, today released its survey findings on Americans’ perception of the Amber Alert system. Conducted by KRC Research, the survey asked Americans if they thought there was a comprehensive Amber Alert system in place across the U.S.; how quickly they thought Amber Alerts were issued; whether or not they feel it is vital to have an Amber Alert system in place and their understanding of how the program works nationally.

Amber Alert empowers law enforcement, the media and the public to combat abduction through the immediate distribution of critical information about a missing child. The program originated in Texas in 1996 after nine year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and murdered. The state of Texas organized a system that encouraged law enforcement agencies to alert the media following a confirmed child abduction.

Survey results report sixty-three percent of adults believe there is a national Amber Alert system in place. They also believe the program works much faster than the reality of response. Four in ten adults believe that from the time a child is abducted it typically takes an hour or less for Amber Alert to go into effect.

According to BeyondMissing Founder and President Marc Klaas whose own child Polly was abducted and murdered 10 years ago this month, “There is an overwhelming belief among Americans that a national Amber Alert system is vital. However the reality is that, except within California and Texas, the Amber Alert system is simply a plan stored in a binder in government offices.” Added Klaas, “A kidnapper could disappear at a rate of a mile per minute without drawing undue attention. It is imperative for Amber Alerts to be distributed immediately and across state borders if there is any hope in recovering a missing child.”

The reality of the Amber Alert system is that there is no comprehensive method for distributing information about missing children. Also, most Amber Alerts that are being distributed through local efforts can take up to eight hours to go into effect. Finally, if a child is kidnapped near a state border, there are few cooperative agreements between neighboring states or members of law enforcement.

When asked what they believe an Amber Alert is, 78 percent of respondents stated that it was a system enabling state and local law enforcement to share information about abducted children across state lines. 70 percent of Americans believed an Amber Alert was a highway sign or flash alerts to inform the public when a child is abducted. 63 percent of respondents believe that the Amber Alert system encompasses a national network of computers that enable information exchange.

“Our survey findings reinforced what BeyondMissing has been working so hard to communicate since 2001: our children are no safer today than when my daughter Polly was kidnapped in 1993 if we do not implement a comprehensive Amber Alert plan,” said Klaas. “The legacy of an abducted child is oftentimes a policy to help improve recovery efforts. Policy and plans are ineffective without a means to implement them.”

BeyondMissing provides a missing persons flyer creation program, funded by a federal grant and available to law enforcement agencies at no cost. By registering on www.beyondmissing.com, sworn police officers can create flyers of missing persons and distribute those flyers to other law enforcement agencies via fax or email. Families of missing persons can also log on to BeyondMissing to create their own flyers in both English and Spanish and post them throughout their communities.

BeyondMissing also offers an Amber Alert application to law enforcement agencies, which can be distributed to other law enforcement agencies and community organizations via fax, email and SMS text messaging. BeyondMissing’s Amber Alert notification system provides critical coordination in areas served by multiple Amber Alert plans and provides primary coverage to areas not currently served.



BEYONDMISSING OMNIBUS
POSTED QUESTIONNAIRE
SEPTEMBER 2003

Random national sample: 1,014 adults, 18 years and older
Dates of interviews: September 11-14, 2003
Gender Quota: 50% Male; 50% Female
Margin of error: +/- 3.1% for Total column;
+/- 4.4% for Men and Women columns
All numbers are percentages
* indicates less than 1%
Numbers may not total 100% due to rounding
Italics indicate a statistically significant difference between men and women.
Now, I’m going to ask you a few questions about Amber Alert plans to alert law enforcement officers and the public about missing or abducted children.

From what you have heard or read, is there a national Amber Alert system?
       
  Total Men Women
Yes 63% 66% 60%
No 23% 20% 26%
Don’t know/refused (VOL.)  14% 14% 13%


How important do you personally believe it is to have a national Amber Alert system in place?
       
  Total Men Women
Extremely important 61% 69% 52%
Very important 27% 24% 29%
Somewhat important 8% 4% 13%
Not too important 1% 1% 2%
Not at all important 1% * 2%
Don’t know/refused (VOL.) 1% 1% 1%
Total Extremely + Very Important 88% 94% 82%
Total Not Important 3% 1% 4%


From what you have seen or heard, which of the following are currently included in the Amber Alert program? Please select all that apply. [READ AND RANDOMIZE RESPONSES; MULTIPLE RESPONSES ACCEPTED]
       
  Total Men Women
State and local law enforcement
sharing information about abducted
children across state lines 		78% 77% 79%
Highway signs or flash alerts to
inform the public when a child is
abducted 		70% 69% 71%
A national network of computers to
share information 		63% 65% 61%
Local flyer distribution of
missing children 		63% 62% 63%
A national search service for
missing children 		62% 65% 58%
None of the above (VOL.) 2% 2% 2%
Other (VOL.) 2% 2% 2%
Don’t know/refused (VOL.) 6% 6% 5%


From what you have seen or heard, how long do you think it typically takes after a child has been abducted for an Amber Alert to go into effect?
       
  Total Men Women
Less than 30 minutes 16% 17% 16%
30 minutes to 1 hour 23% 25% 20%
1 to 2 hours 17% 18% 16%
2 to 5 hours 11% 9% 14%
More than 5 hours 20% 17% 22%
Don’t know/refused (VOL.) 13% 13% 12%
Total Less Than An Hour 39% 42% 36%


Which two of the following activities do you believe are the most important factors in helping to locate a missing child? [TWO RESONSES ACCEPTED; READ AND RANDOMIZE RESPONSES]
       
  Total Men Women
Sharing information as quickly as
possible with the general public 		70% 71% 68%
State and local law enforcement
officers sharing information 		54% 53% 56%
Search parties canvassing parks
and other locations 		22% 24% 20%
Using highway flash alerts 20% 21% 19%
Posting flyers throughout the
community 		9% 10% 9%
Printing missing child information
on milk cartons 		4% 4% 4%
None of the above (VOL.) * - 1%
Other (VOL.) 1% 1% *
Don’t know/refused (VOL.) 4% 4% 4%


KRC RESEARCH