Some info - a little long - my last one
I wanted to address the statements concerning abuse of the system and percieved futility. The National center for Missing and Exploited Children (ncmec.org) has created guidlines for local amber plans that establish very specific criteria for when and why alerts are issued. It should greatly reduce the "cry wolf" alerts where public assistance is ineffective. You can see the criteria on their website.
Yes, you can get this info form local radio and TV IF you are watching AND they participate. We have the abliity to maybe someday make a huge difference at the cost of the occasional inconvenience of a rather obnoxious banner popping onto the screen. There is no other national network with the speed, efficiency, and effectiveness of AMBER. For all of its' failings and annoyances it does work. Below are the children recovered just this year. If you read through you will see an incredible diversity in the circustances of their recovery and the role of amber alerts.
This will be my last post on this issue. I don't want to have to change my screen name to floggin-the-dead-horse-annoying-guy.
May 26, 2005
Charleston, Illinois
A 2-year-old girl was abducted by her non-custodial mother from a day care center. Because law enforcement believed that the woman was a danger to the child, an AMBER Alert was issued. A citizen heard the Alert and soon spotted the vehicle in a shopping center parking lot. The citizen alerted authorities, the suspect was apprehended, and the child was safely recovered.
May 25, 2005
West Haven, Connecticut
A 5-year-old girl was taken by her non-custodial mother as she stepped off the school bus ready to walk into her school. Authorities were alerted, and because the woman has abused and neglected the child in the past, an AMBER Alert was issued. Many sightings were called in leading authorities to I-95. The suspect and child were soon found broken down along the highway. The suspect was arrested and the child was safely reunited with her father.
May 24, 2005
Jonesboro, Arkansas
A 2-year-old girl and her mother were abducted at knifepoint by the child’s non-custodial father. The suspect stabbed the child’s mother, dropped her off along the highway, and took off with the child. An AMBER Alert was quickly issued. After hearing the AMBER Alert, the suspect dropped the child off with relatives. The relatives, who had also heard the AMBER Alert, immediately returned the child to authorities. The child was safely recovered.
May 16, 2005
Denver, Colorado
A 4-year-old girl and her 7-year-old cousin were playing near their house when a man drove up, grabbed the young girl and put her into his car, and then drove off. The cousin alerted the family, who notified authorities. An AMBER Alert was quickly issued. A few hours later the suspect dropped the child off and she wandered into a convenience store. The store clerk immediately recognized her from the AMBER Alert and called law enforcement. The child was safely reunited with her family.
May 7, 2005
Taylorsville, Utah
A 5-year-old girl went to run errands with her mother’s fiancé. When the two did not return when they were supposed to, the child’s mother became worried because of her fiancé’s drug addiction. She called authorities and an AMBER Alert was issued. A citizen heard the AMBER Alert on the radio and saw the suspect’s vehicle in a store parking lot. Police arrived at the scene and safely recovered the child.
April 30, 2005
Robeson County, North Carolina
A 4-year-old girl was taken from her grandmother's home by a relative. Because law enforcement believed the child could be in danger, an AMBER Alert was issued. Hours after the child was taken, the suspect stopped at a convenience store for something to eat, and the clerk recognized the the suspect from the Alert. Authorities were quickly at the scene to arrest the suspect, and the child was safely recovered.
April 11, 2005
Irvington, New Jersey
A 4-month-old child and her mother were abducted at gun point by the child’s biological father. The man shot the child’s grandfather and forced the child and woman into her car and sped off. An AMBER Alert was immediately issued. A toll-booth worker heard the AMBER Alert, saw the vehicle drive through the toll, and quickly notified authorities. After a high-speed pursuit, and a three-hour hostage situation, the child and woman were safely set free. A few hours later, the suspect surrendered.
April 4, 2005
Conley, Georgia
A 2-year-old girl was abducted by her father following a domestic dispute with the child’s mother. Because the man is reportedly a heavy drug user and is known to frequent drug house, an AMBER Alert was issued. An alert motorist recognized the vehicle from the AMBER Alert and notified authorities. The suspect was quickly arrested and the child was safely recovered.
March 26, 2005
Greenville, South Carolina
A 1-year-old child was abducted by her father after the man assaulted the child’s mother. AnAMBER Alert was quickly issued. The man saw the AMBER Alert on electronic highway signs and called authorities from his mobile phone demanding that they cancel the Alert. Authorities were able to track the location of the suspect through his mobile phone and notify the highway patrol of his location. The suspect was apprehended and the child was safely recovered.
March 14, 2005
Oneonta, Alabama
A 14-year-old girl was believed to have been taken against her will by a man she had been corresponding with on the Internet. An AMBER Alert was issued. The suspect’s boss saw theAMBER Alert and immediately notified authorities of the man’s whereabouts. The suspect lead police to where he was keeping the child. The suspect was arrested and the child was safely recovered.
March 2, 2005
Stockton, California
A 12-year-old girl was abducted by a man who had previously sexually assaulted her and threatened the lives of her family if she or they notified authorities. An AMBER Alert was quickly issued. A citizen came upon the suspect and victim and believed they were homeless. She took the two to her house to feed them. When she saw the AMBER Alert on TV the woman asked the child if she was the girl from the Alert. The child said yes, and the woman notified authorities. The suspect was apprehended and the child was safely recovered.
March 2, 2005
Sacramento, California
A 3-year-old girl was abducted by her babysitter after the man dropped the child’s mother off at night school. When the child’s mother returned home to find her child, babysitter and vehicle missing, she notified authorities. Because the babysitter has a history of drug abuse, an AMBER Alert was issued. The suspect saw the AMBER Alert on TV and called authorities to turn himself him. The suspect was arrested and the child was safely returned to her mother.
February 22, 2005
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
A 5-month-old girl was left with her babysitter while her mother went to class. When her mother returned to pick her up, the babysitter’s boyfriend said that she had taken the child to the bank with her hours ago. After the woman had been gone for over six hours with the child, authorities were notified. Because police believe the child may be in danger, an AMBER Alert was issued. A few hours later a motel manager saw the AMBER Alert and recognized the woman and child as guests who had checked in the evening. Law enforcement was quickly at the scene, the suspect was apprehended, and the child was safely recovered.
February 2005
Allen County, Indiana
Law enforcement went to check on a 10-year-old boy and his mother after a doctor reported to authorities that his mother had made threats to murder her son and that she should be committed. When the two were not located at home and because the child was feared to be in danger, an AMBER Alert was issued. The woman heard the AMBER Alert and turned herself and the child into the authorities. The child was safely recovered.
February 13, 2005
Montague, Michigan
A 6-year old girl was visiting with her non-custodial father, but he failed to return the child at the arranged time. When law enforcement found out that the man has mental issues, may not have taken his medication, and is known to have delusional episodes, an AMBER Alertwas issued. A citizen heard the AMBER Alert on a local radio station, recognized the vehicle on the highway, and contacted authorities. Police were quickly at the scene, the suspect was arrested, and the child was safely recovered.
February 12, 2005
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
A 1-year-old boy and his 17-month-old brother were left in a vehicle while their mother went into a residence, at which time the vehicle was stolen. An AMBER Alert was quickly issued. A man working in the area of the abduction heard the Alert and actively began to search for the vehicle. He soon came across the abandoned vehicle and found the two boys still inside. The children were safely recovered.
February 2, 2005
Allen County, Indiana
Law enforcement went to check on a 10-year-old boy and his mother after a doctor reported to authorities that his mother had made threats to murder her son and that she should be committed. When the two were not located at home and because the child was feared to be in danger, an AMBER Alert was issued. The woman heard the AMBER Alert and turned herself and the child into the authorities. The child was safely recovered.
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
This is just another example of how this system is abused and how a lot (if not a majority) of the alerts end up being false. 
