In this January 2006 article, “Ten Year Amber Alert Anniversary” it was enlightening to see the system didn’t work as promised. It was particularly interesting since the State of California recently reported a 100% success rate for their Amber Alert system.
Police use the Emergency Alert system. It’s supposed to be a powerful tool to instantly warn the public about serious disasters. But sometimes the system doesn’t work at all. Two Amber Alerts were issued this year and some broadcasters didn’t get them. Sometimes freeway signs remain dark. Last time an Amber Alert was issued, the sign wasn’t working.
That’s despite a $77,000 investment by SBC Communications in the system a year ago. Las Vegas isn’t alone. Oklahoma and Pennsylvania had serious computer failures. Las Vegas experienced long delays in issuing Amber Alerts, so did California, Iowa, Idaho and North Carolina. Michigan and Utah each had false Amber Alerts.
An Ounce of Prevention 