U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Office of Justice Programs' Blog Discusses AMBER Alerts in Indian Country

AMBER Alert logo

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has posted a new blog discussing AMBER Alerts in Indian country born out of the tragic abduction and murder of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike of the Navajo Nation in 2016. The tragedy revealed that American Indian Tribes lacked access to the AMBER Alert system to assist in the recovery of abducted children.

The blog details this summer's National AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, sponsored by OJJDP, where Pamela Foster, Ashlynne's mother, shared her story. The blog describes the passage of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act and highlights how OJP and OJJDP are working with Tribes to integrate AMBER Alerts. Since its inception in 1996, the AMBER Alert program has helped 967 abducted children return home safely.

Resources:

Date Published: September 13, 2019