The AMBER ADVOCATE
A U.S. Department of Justice Initiative
Latest AMBER Advocate News
For those fortunate enough to witness it, one of the Symposium’s most moving moments came in the guise of a small package—one that guest speaker Pamela Foster quietly handed to...
Jolene Hardesty has faced challenges in her 20 years of public service—from her early days as a 911 sheriff’s office dispatcher to her current role as Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Analyst...
As the disappearance of 9-year-old Charlotte Sena from an Upstate New York park in the fall of 2023 began to garner national media attention, the parallels to another case flashed...
Hundreds of state and regional AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Person Clearinghouse Managers, Tribal law enforcement officers, public alerting/emergency management experts, and federal officials gathered in New Orleans February 27–28 to...
AATTAP's AMBER Alert in Indian Country Manager Tyesha M. Wood has been named a 2024 “Champion of Change” by End Violence Against Women International.
As 2024 unfolds, an array of innovative technology awaits use by law enforcement. Our experts share the tools they believe should be your radars.
After her parents were murdered, a missing infant is found safe thanks to Mexico’s media, the public, and AMBER Alert Coordinators—who acted during a conference on protecting children with U.S....
After years of advocacy—and fighting to get her daughter home safely from Mali, West Africa—Dr. Noelle Hunter is turning to research to further highlight the harrowing issue of international parental...
Upcoming Trainings Open for Registration
Child Abduction Response Team Training (CART)
Orlando, Florida
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Daily | Take steps toward implementing a successful CART by bringing together a team of experts whose knowledge, skills, and abilities will be beneficial in a child abduction case. Join us to learn how to develop a multidisciplinary CART for responding to endangered, missing, or abducted children. Hear about the impact a child abduction has...
Live Webinar: How to Prepare for a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Certification
1:00 - 2:30 PM CST | Seconds count when a child goes missing. A Child Abduction Response Team (CART) is a critical tool law enforcement agencies use to provide an effective and efficient response to a missing child incident. The CART Certification Program ensures CARTs operate at a level of excellence in both their structure and operational ability and are...
Initial Response Strategies and Tactics When Responding to Missing Children Incidents
Catawissa, PA
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | In the initial response to endangered missing or child abduction incidents, accurate and timely situational assessments and immediate resource deployment are critical. During this training, first responders will gain knowledge of the investigative activities that occur during an endangered missing or child abduction investigation, and how their actions influence the short- and long-term response...
Child Sex Trafficking for First Responders
Catawissa, PA
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Child Sex Trafficking (CST) is a crime that is hidden yet in plain sight. First responders are often the first system members to make contact with a CST victim. A CST victim has been heavily groomed for system contact, is fearful of their trafficker, and often not forthcoming about their exploitive situation. Deconstruct the...
Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Training
Grand Junction, CO
8:00 a.m. - 5:0o p.m. daily | Take steps toward implementing a successful CART by bringing together a team of experts whose knowledge, skills, and abilities will be beneficial in a child abduction case. Join us to learn how to develop a multidisciplinary CART for responding to endangered, missing, or abducted children. Hear about the impact a child abduction has...
Child Abduction Tabletop Exercise – 4 Hrs
Eau Claire, WI
8:00 a.m. - Noon | Test the organization’s response in conducting an initial investigation into searching for a missing or abducted child using the Incident Command System. Employ strategies and responses in mitigating and resolving the emergency. Participate in a multidisciplinary tabletop exercise to build cohesiveness within the investigative team when responding to an emergency.
Initial Response Strategies and Tactics When Responding to Missing Children Incidents
Mansfield, PA
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | In the initial response to endangered missing or child abduction incidents, accurate and timely situational assessments and immediate resource deployment are critical. During this training, first responders will gain knowledge of the investigative activities that occur during an endangered missing or child abduction investigation, and how their actions influence the short- and long-term response...
Investigative Strategies for Child Abduction Cases
Aurora, CO
Understand, recognize, and investigate cases involving missing and abducted children. Determine scope and scale issues and how to manage a missing or abducted child case. Explore crime scene evidence collection and processing, profiling suspects, and legal issues, including search warrants and interrogation related to a missing or abducted child.
Featured Resources
When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide
When your child is missing, your mind races through so many questions – what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. It is overwhelming. We understand. We have been there. We designed this publication to help you take each necessary step, contact the right people, and know how to move forward.
AMBER Advocate Magazine
Latest Issue
Our second issue of 2024 brings you highlights from our productive and inspiring February 2024 National AMBER Alert and AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium event in New Orleans, along with other great features and briefs. Read it today!
AMBER Alert Best Practices for Public Information Officers (PIOs)
Best practice recommendations and other important considerations for Public Information Officers in working effectively with the media in endangered missing and abducted child cases
AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide
Guidelines and important considerations for strengthening and continuously improving AMBER Alert Programs
Field Guide for Law Enforcement Officers
Provides high-level information on law enforcement's investigative response in relation to incidents of endangered missing and abducted children, and the AMBER Alert Process.
2023 Fact Sheet: AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program
Highlights of the AATTAP's work as of September 30, 2023
2023 Fact Sheet: AMBER Alert in Indian Country Initiative
Highlights of the AIIC initiative as of September 30, 2023
CHILDREN SAFELY RECOVERED WITH THE HELP OF AMBER ALERT
As of December 31, 2023
Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Training | May 3-5, 2024 | Panama City, FL
"Some of the best presenters I have seen. Kept us engaged and were incredibly knowledgeable."
"The instructors were clearly experts in their fields. They made difficult topics easy to take in. They were entertaining and engaging. One of the best trainings I've had the pleasure to attend."
Initial Response Strategies and Tactics When Responding to Missing Children Incidents
May 16, 2024 | Elkton, MD
"Great training! Really enjoyed the case studies and all the information provided."
"The Family Perspective presentation gave me important perspectives on what we can do better when dealing with families of victims."
"I enjoyed the roundtable discussions for investigative techniques and resources related to missing persons and child abduction cases."
Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Training | May 19-21, 2024 | Fish Creek, WI
"The scale of the problems which need to be addressed and resolved is huge. This class opened my mind beyond my imagination. Thank you for all your time and effort."
"The training was very beneficial in understanding what a CART team member may encounter and expectations of working in that capacity."
"It was great to see how many moving parts are needed to effectively conduct a child abduction or missing child investigation."
UNRESOLVED MISSING PERSON CASES IN INDIAN COUNTRY | March 24-26, 2024 | Bernalillo, NM
"The instructors presented professionally and worked well together."
"The course provided very good experiential stories and really useful, practical information."
"I liked how the instructors engaged the attendees and encouraged them to meet and talk with each other to exchange resources."
