Despite mainstream media and social media reports that the Amber Alert System has been temporarily discontinued due to the government shutdown, the Oregon State Police are assuring the public that the system has not been affected and remains fully in effect.
On Monday, Oct. 7, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent a nationwide reminder that the Amber Alert program has not been impacted by the government shutdown. NCMEC will continue to provide operational support for the network of local Amber Alert plans that manages the distribution of alerts within their geographical area.
In November 2002, the state of Oregon announced implementation of a statewide Amber Alert Plan. The plan is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and local broadcasters to send an emergency alert to the public when a child has been abducted and it is believed the child’s life is in danger. Since implementation of Oregon’s AMBER Alert Plan, there have been 20 activations helping to safely recover 22 children.
