AMBER Alert

The AMBER alert - originally named after abducted child Amber Hagerman of Texas and later turned into a backronym for "America's Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response" - uses a variety of broadcast methods to engage the public in the urgent search for a child who has been abducted and whose life is in danger.

When the Sûreté du Québec (the province's police force) issues an AMBER alert, all partners are asked to collaborate for at least two hours. Police deem this initial period to be the most critical in bringing a happy resolution to a crisis situation.

When the Sûreté du Québec issues an AMBER alert, the content usually displayed on the customer screen makes way for a special page announcing that an AMBER alert is in effect. The screen displays information about the abducted child, the suspect and the vehicle involved in the crime. The alert remains on the screen for at least two hours.

In keeping with KPMG recommendations, out of fairness to business operations, information relating to prizes won (or not) will still be displayed at the bottom of the screen, occupying approximately 20% of the available screen space; sounds associated with prize wins will continue to be played.

Readers might recall that KPMG had been commissioned in 2008 to conduct a study with the aim of improving customer prize payment procedures.

For an AMBER alert to be issued, four criteria must be met simultaneously, without exception:

• The abduction involves a child (someone under 18 years of age);
• The police department has reason to believe that the missing child has been abducted;
• The police department has reason to believe that the missing child's physical safety and life are at great risk;
• The police department has enough information to locate the child, the suspect or the vehicle used by the suspect

• Sûreté du Québec (provincial coordinating body)
• Montréal Police Department - SPVM (coordinating body for Montréal)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police - RCMP (coordinating body for the rest of Canada)
• The Missing Children's Network Canada
• The highway patrol of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ)
• Transports Québec's traffic management centre
• Association des centres d'urgence du Québec
• Loto-Québec
• The media (radio and TV)

Launched in Québec in 2003, the AMBER alert was created in the United States in 1996 following a tragic kidnapping that took place in Arlington, Texas.

Although a witness had provided police with a description of the man who had abducted nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, along with a description of the suspect's vehicle, the girl was found dead four days later.

On April 30, 2003, the U.S. Congress adopted the AMBER Alert Bill to ensure that use of the alert would be standardized throughout the United States.

Since the AMBER alert was introduced in Québec, every case has had positive results.

During an AMBER alert, if you have any information that could help police locate the missing child, or if you have seen the child, suspect or vehicle used by the suspect (as described in the AMBER alert broadcast), immediately call 911 or your local police department.