There are now 12 states that have implemented Silver Alert systems, which in most cases piggyback the current AMBER Alert system. While legislators applaud their own actions, authorities continue to debate the consequences of activating too many AMBER Alerts.
The officials will wrestle a question with no easy answer: How should they handle situations that don’t meet Amber Alert guidelines but still require the public’s help?
Most people desperate to find a missing child would say that whatever help authorities get is good, whether it meets a guideline or not.
But since the system was created following the 1996 abduction of Amber Hagerman in Texas, authorities have concentrated on protecting its integrity to make sure the public takes the alerts seriously.
Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp said the abuse of Amber Alerts recently was discussed at length at a national conference. The alert primarily was designed for stranger abduction but is used more often for missing children or custody disputes. Snapp said officials worry that if the public sees too many Amber Alerts, their effectiveness could be diluted.
“It could lead to abuse of the system and ultimately weaken the system,” Snapp said of alerts that don’t follow the guidelines. Kansas City Star
Florida recently became the 12th State to implement Silver Alerts issuing eight alerts since Oct. 8 th.
An Ounce of Prevention 