JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri State Highway Patrol has announced that an upgraded, streamlined AMBER Alert system has been launched in the Show-Me State.
The new system includes wireless emergency alerts, automated social media alerts, and a public website that provides the latest information on AMBER Alerts active in Missouri at any time.
The new alert system directly utilizes the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System from the Federal Emerency Management Agency to deliver AMBER Alert messages to cell phones, eliminating a step in the previous system, which first delivered alert messages to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for distribution. Officials say that change will save precious minutes that were originally lost when the old system was in place.
The new system’s automatic alert updates are also designed to reduce the possibility that outdated information will continue to be shared on social media.
Each AMBER Alert will include photos and descriptions of the missing child and suspect, if available. This new system also will automatically update the Patrol’s social media accounts.
AMBER Alerts are activated in the most serious child-abduction cases, and are used to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child. These alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones, and other data-enabled devices.
