The Amber Alert program originated in Arlington, Texas in 1996 as a result of the kidnapping and brutal murder of 9 year old Amber Hagerman. The Amber Alert is a public safety program to help police locate abducted children by broadcasting urgent information including descriptions of victims, suspects, vehicles and circumstances.

On the 15th of January 2003, the Ontario government and OPP introduced the initiation of the Amber Alert public safety program for Province of Ontario. The alerts will be broadcast on a variety of public channels such as radio and television, as well as COMPASS, the Ministry of Transportation's network of electronic highway message signs. COMPASS signs normally advise of upcoming traffic conditions and are located on major highways throughout the province.

Locating missing children is a number 1 priority, and the Amber Alert program makes every citizen a part of the process. During the launch of the Ontario Sex Offender Registry, it was stated that 91 percent of children kidnapped and murdered by sexual predators were killed within 24 hours of their abduction. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates 74 percent of abducted children who were later found murdered were killed within three hours of being kidnapped. It is also estimated that kidnappers disappear with their victims at the rate of one mile per minute, making recovery seriously time critical.

For more information, visit the Missing Kids web page
and the Code Amber web page