Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — When a child is abducted, an Amber Alert goes out and reporters, highway billboards, and text messages notify the public to be on the lookout. So it's no wonder a parent of a runaway would want nothing less for their child.
"We do get that question posed to us all the time," said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal. "I think it's important that people understand there are criteria that are set forth for the Amber Alert."
Paul Murphy, who coordinates Amber Alerts for the State of Utah, said police officers must stick to the rules.
"The Amber Alert is specifically only for a child who has been abducted," Murphy said. "If they don't have information that a child has been abducted, they can't issue an Amber Alert."
But there is an alert that Murphy said law enforcement in Utah could use more often to help bring missing and runaway children home. It's called the Endangered Missing Advisory.
This alert has much looser rules than an Amber Alert, gets issued to the media and the public, and has assisted in locating almost 20 people in Utah. To initiate the advisory, law enforcement has to know that a person is missing and they're at risk.
"Children who are missing are in danger. They are more at risk of abuse, more at risk of being hurt by other people; and I think good law enforcement officers treat every missing child case as a very serious case," Murphy said.
He added that more law enforcement training could help spread the word about this alert.
"I think it could be used more; and I think part of that is training and part of that is we haven't had a case like Elizabeth Smart," Murphy said. "Elizabeth Smart told the world there is something called an Amber Alert, and we haven't really had a case in Utah that tells everybody we have and Endangered Missing Advisory, and when and advisory goes out to take it seriously because you may bring a person home alive."
Email: ddujanovic@ksl.com
