Connecticut Amber Alert, Silver Alert System

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HOW THE CONNECTICUT AMBER ALERT WORKS: 

An Amber Alert has to meet federal criteria and can only be triggered by state police, not a local police department. Police have to believe an abduction has taken place and the child must be at risk of serious injury or death. Police also must have a description of the child, captor, or captor’s vehicle and the child must be 17 years old or younger.

Once the police respond to the scene and obtain a description of the child, abductor, and vehicle, this information is immediately broadcast to all radio and television stations across the state through the Emergency Alert System (EAS). This is the alert used during severe weather emergencies.

The plan alerts the public as quickly as possible to the abduction so everyone may assist in the search for the safe return of the child.

DURING AN AMBER ALERT, THE CONNECTICUT LOTTERY WILL: 

Individuals can also visit the “National Center for Missing and Exploited Children” website, http://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/amber, that also lists active Amber alerts as well as the child’s picture.

WIRELESS AMBER ALERTS:
Wireless AMBER Alerts is an initiative to distribute AMBER Alerts to wireless subscribers who are within range of the cellular carrier towers in the affected area. The system does not need to know your mobile number and it does not track your whereabouts; it simply broadcasts the alert and any mobile device that can “hear” the alert will display it to the user. Wireless customers will not be charged for the receipt of these messages.

If you see someone fitting the description of the child, adult or vehicle from the Amber Alert immediately call 911.

For more information, see the list of frequently asked questions on the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection website: https://portal.ct.gov/DESPP/Division-of-State-Police/Amber-Alert/Connecticut-Amber-Alert—Frequently-Asked-Questions

HOW THE CONNECTICUT SILVER ALERT WORKS

Silver Alert criteria is set by each individual state. In Connecticut, a Silver Alert can pertain to a missing child under 18 years old, a missing person between 18 and 65 years old who has mental health issues or someone who is over 65.

Once the police receive a missing person’s report and a description of the missing person, the information is broadcast via radio, television, lottery distributors, and electronic highway signs through the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The following is the form used to report a missing person: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/POST/PDF_Documents/DPS0081CAmberSilverAlertPDFFilepdf.pdf?la=en

The plan alerts the public as quickly as possible to the disappearance so everyone may assist in the search for the safe return of the individual.

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SOURCE: Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection: http://www.ct.gov/despp/site/default.asp
PREPARED BY: 211/mm
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: February2024