The number of missing children recovered alive after their names and photographs were sent to police and transportation agencies under the “Amber Alert” system has risen during the past two years, as the system has become established across the country, says USA Today, quoting a Justice Department report. From early 2002 through Oct. 1 of this year, 143 children were recovered through the system, which is designed to notify authorities when missing children are believed in immediate danger. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says that since Oct. 1, 15 more children have been recovered through Amber Alerts.
Robert Hoever of the center estimates that 90 percent of Amber Alerts issued across the nation have resulted in authorities finding a child alive. Amber alerts generally are used when police can confirm an abduction, when there appears a risk of serious injury or death to a child, and when there is detail about the abductor or victim.
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-12-15-amberalert_x.htm