Jessica’s Law Now
Submitted by Mark Palmer: Too many times, children and teenagers who have gone missing do not have an Amber Alert issued. Cases like Chelsea King, Monte and Collin Walker, Max Hernandez and Gabriel Johnson, did not either have an Amber Alert issued or the Amber Alert was delayed, by red-tape, miscommunication, or that the abduction doesn’t fit the criteria. We have seen incidents where authorities felt that there was no need to issue an Amber Alert because missing child or teen did not fit a certain criteria, or they felt they did not have enough evidence to suggest that an alert was needed or necessary. However, when a parent states that their child is missing, it should be taken seriously, and not put off as a run-away.
Some states have to go betweens or liaisons, who decided if an Amber Alert is merited; unfortunately, when time is of the essence, we do not have the luxury of red tape. It is naïve to think that there is a one-size fits all criteria, when it comes to abductions, when there are clearly different cases, with unique circumstances.
There should be contingency plans when certain issues come up, that allows for immediate response such as: mental and emotional state of the abductor or parent, potential harm or danger to the child, domestic violence history, and out-of-country flight risks, etc.
Too many times, we do not err on the side of caution, and we end up with a tragic ending; what is worse is we cannot honestly say everything was done to curb what happened.
If a simple Amber Alert was issued, at the time of the disappearance, it may have stopped these events from unfolding in the manner in which they had. The Amber Alert is a tool, which needs to be fully utilized in a more effective manner by law enforcement. We prefer law enforcement to err on the side of caution than to stand by, and not enact in a timely manner.
Jessica’s Law Now feels that Amber Alerts need to be mandatory under the right guidelines. How many children are missing or dead because authorities did not issue Amber Alert?
Jessica’s Law Now is asking you to join in with us to make a positive difference for the safety and welfare of our children. By signing our Petition, we are asking President Obama, Congress and United States Senate make Amber Alerts Mandatory under national guidelines, to streamline the processes in order to get Alerts out in a timely manner, and include parental abduction in the categories and criteria of a National Amber Alert System. Once the guidelines are uniform and comprehensive, and governed through a national system, we hope to cut down on incidents of children being abducted and murdered by their parent or the person who abducts them. Our concern is the safety of the child and to find them once they go missing. It is past time to cut through the red tape and bureaucracy, please lend your name to the petition, for change! Please visit our facebook page at Jessica’s Law Now and sign our petition.
Mark Alexander Palmer
Jessica’s Law Now
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