National AMBER Alert Day: What it is and why it was started

ARLINGTON, Texas - On Tuesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) marked National AMBER Alert Day by highlighting the tool that has become the state’s frontline defense against child abductions.

National AMBER Alert Day serves as an annual call to vigilance, but this year carries a heavier weight: it marks 30 years since the event that birthed the program.

What is an AMBER Alert?

The acronym stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The system is designed to bypass traditional news cycles by sending urgent descriptions of missing children, suspects, and vehicles directly to the public via:

• Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile phones
• Digital highway signs
• Television and radio broadcasts
• Social media platforms

The goal is to turn the entire population into the "eyes and ears" of law enforcement, generating leads during the most critical hours of an investigation.

Who was Amber Hagerman?

The alert system is named in honor of Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 13, 1996. Her body was discovered four days later, a tragedy that spurred local media and law enforcement to create a rapid-response broadcast system.

"When an AMBER Alert is issued, it sets an immediate and unified response into motion," said Gerald Brown, Chief of the DPS Homeland Security Division. "The coordination between local, state, and federal partners is critical."

Who killed Amber Hagerman?

The Latest:

Police have provided an updated description of the suspect and the vehicle involved.

The suspect is a white or Hispanic male, now in his 50s or 60s. He is under 6 feet tall with a medium build and brown or black hair.

The vehicle is believed to be a black 1980s or 1990s full-size fleet pickup truck. The vehicle featured a short wheelbase, a single cab, and a clear rear window with no slider. At the time, the truck was in good condition with no visible damage.

Oak Farms Dairy is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The Arlington Police Department has established a dedicated tip line. Anyone with information, no matter how small, is urged to call 817-575-8823.

Evolution of the AMBER Alert program

While the program began as a localized effort in North Texas, it was codified into state law in 2003. It has since evolved to meet new challenges. In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation allowing for faster local activation of alerts following the kidnap and murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand in Wise County.

What you can do:

DPS officials emphasize that the system only works if the public remains engaged. When an alert is issued, residents are urged to memorize the shared descriptions and report matches immediately to 911.

"We ask all Texans to pay attention to alert messages and to be observant of their surroundings," Brown said. "Every effort is aligned toward bringing your loved one home safely."

The department maintains an archive of all active and discontinued alerts on its website, though it notes that official outcomes must be confirmed by the specific investigating agencies.

Dig deeper:

In addition to AMBER Alerts, the Statewide Alert Program includes Silver, Blue, Endangered Missing Persons, CLEAR, Power Outage and Active Shooter alerts.