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Delaware State Police
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State Police Recognize National Amber Alert Awareness Day Released Friday January 11, 2007 State of Delaware – On Sunday, January 13, 2008, the Delaware State Police will join many other police agencies across the country in recognizing National AMBER Alert Awareness Day. The day honors the memory of Amber Hagerman, the 9-year-old girl who was abducted while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas in 1996. Her abduction and murder led the nation on a crusade to protect our children from harm by predators. The AMBER Alert Plan unites law enforcement, media outlets, state agencies and members of the public in working together to save an abducted child from harm. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of the child. Due to the consistent and meaningful manner in which it operates, the AMBER Alert program continues to be a most effective tool in recovering an abducted child. Since its inception, 374 children nationwide have been saved from an abductor and brought home safely to their loved ones. In Delaware, the AMBER Alert has been activated one-time on October 15, 2005 involving the abduction of Kaitlyn West. Kaitlyn was abducted by her father, Matthew West, after he shot and killed Kaitlyn’s mother. This case, which was investigated by the New Castle County Police, resulted in the successful recovery the same day. (I have attached a copy of the press release handled by the New Castle County Police regarding this incident) By enlisting the public to help law enforcement agencies find an abducted child, an AMBER Alert is a daunting obstacle to criminals. On many occasions, it has led abductors to release their victims. Ideally, AMBER Alert will become such a familiar name that it will serve as a deterrent to would-be abductors. The AMBER Alert Plan is a very successful tool that law enforcement may utilize to combat the horrific and heartbreaking crimes that our children often face after being abducted. The success of the plan sends a strong message that crime against our children is unacceptable and that as a society, we will work together to track down these perpetrators and recover the children that they intend to harm. The Delaware State Police would like to thank law enforcement officers, the media community, state officials and most importantly, the citizens of this State who continue to work together to make Delaware’s AMBER Alert Plan a success.
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| State of Delaware Home Page Last Modified: January 14, 2008. |