Why did it take over 24 hours to issue an amber alert

[Blue_Roses]

for this missing girl in Sarasota, Florida? I would have someone's ass for this incompetent, stupid decision. That is the whole purpose of the amber alert--what good is it gonna do if they don't get that alert out there as soon as possible. :mad::argh:


-------
--snip--

Bush said he has asked the FDLE to investigate why it took the sheriff's office 24 hours to issue an Amber alert. Sheriff's officials have said they didn't immediately issue the alert because they were not yet certain the child was missing. The alert was issued once they obtained the videotape.


http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040204/NEWS/40204002

[Democrats unite]

1. Because it's Florida & no child gets left behind!

The only problem is they don't know where the children are in the first place! We have got to have the worst family State run agency in the Union!

[Blue_Roses]

7. I lived in Daytona Beach

for a summer and I couldn't wait to get back to my home state. I am beginning to think Florida has the worst record for children's welfare in that state.

[MissB]

2. There are apparently criteria that needs to be met

to issue an amber alert. I'm not sure whether these are nationwide or vary from state to state. In California (using that only because I googled that state's criteria the other day), one of the criteria is that there must be a confirmed abduction.

It sucks. Truly.

[Blue_Roses]

4. You're right

it is a criteria that it must be a confirmed abduction and that is on the nationwide scale since it's a federal law. But it is so lame, since HOW can you know it's abduction or runaway status until later, which then is too late for many. The first 24 hours are the most crucial in finding a missing child. This must be amended.

[MissB]

6. I agree. The statistics are horrible

IIRC, the expert on MSNBC the other night said that 75% of the kids were killed within the first few hours.

[SoCalDem]

3. It's the "runaway" angle, sad to say..

I have had personal experience with this one.. When a kid between 10 or 11 and up, the police often "assume" that the kid took off on their own..

When they found the video tape the next day, is when they took it seriously..

Our son DID take off when he was 12 . and when we called the police, they said that they would not fill out a missing person's report until 24 hours had elapsed..

This was 14 years ago, and luckily for us he came home safe and sound.. (He knew we would say NO to a ONE WEEK trip to San Onofre to surf with a bunch of 18 & 19 yr olds :grr:.. gee why would we say no ?? :grr:..)

[Blue_Roses]

5. So glad to know

your situation came out ok. It breaks my heart to hear of anything happening to a child. The laws need to be tougher on these creeps.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SoCalDem]

9. For that week that he was missing, it was torture

We drove the streets til the wee hours, called everyone we could think of, and of course every time the phone rang, I half expected to hear that they wanted us to identify a torso in an orange grove or something..

He just waltzed in one afternoon, and said "Hi , Mom" like he had been next door pplaying video games or something..:grr:

[pansypoo53219]

10. we had one in WI

hours after the abduction, with thourough discription of the vehicle. although aparently th young girls were with a babysitter, the mother was severely beaten by her ex and was luckily discovered alive duct taped in a drum where he had axcess.
but i suppose family situations are always easier than strangers.

[SoCalDem]

11. "Family" abductions are probably easier to solve

because the police have a logical starting point, and they know exactly whom to talk to.. A stranger abduction (although actually rare)is a different matter, because unless they have some hard evidence or a video or the guy blabs to someone with a conscience, they have no leads until it's too late..:(

and if the family member is not a total wacko, they usually do not harm the kids..:)

[Blue_Roses]

12. And after hearing the news this morning

of Carlie being found, I am even more outraged that it took this long to issue this alert. I was living in Texas when Amber Haggerman was abducted and killed. This went into law shortly after her death and that is one thing that Texas did do right was immediately issue those alerts. I don't think they even weighed the "runaway" issue at all. If a child was missing it didn't take long to issue this alert.

The runaway issue should be ousted, because a child STILL is in danger when they runaway. This is bullshit to keep this part in the law.