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Today we honor Amber Hagerman's memory, whose legacy has saved hundreds of children's lives. As we reflect upon the extraordinary successes of the AMBER Alert program, we are grateful for the diligent cooperation among law enforcement, broadcasters, and the public to help bring abducted children home.

On January 12, 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice commemorated the 11-year anniversary of the AMBER Alert program by pointing to the success of the initiative that has saved the lives of 308 children nationwide.

The AMBER (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert network was created in response to the tragic death of Amber Hagerman, who 11 years ago was abducted while riding her bicycle in Arlington, TX, and then brutally murdered. The program began that same year when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed up with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. Other States and communities soon set up their own AMBER plans as the idea was adopted across the Nation.

In commemoration of the anniversary of AMBER Alert, Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General for OJP and the national AMBER Alert Coordinator said, "In 11 years we have seen a single, local program grow into a powerful national network. Over 300 children have been recovered thanks to the cooperation and collaboration of broadcasters, law enforcement officials, transportation agencies, public and private sector organizations, and concerned citizens."

AMBER Alerts are emergency messages broadcast when a law enforcement agency determines that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger. The broadcasts include information that could lead to the child's recovery, such as physical descriptions about the child and abductor and information about the abductor's vehicle.

In October 2002, President Bush hosted the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children. Following the Conference, the Attorney General appointed the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to serve as the national AMBER Alert Coordinator, and a national strategy was developed to create a seamless network of alert systems. The PROTECT Act, which President Bush signed into law in April 2003, statutorily established the national AMBER Alert Coordinator role.

Since that time, AMBER Alert has made significant progress:

• All 50 States now have statewide AMBER Alert plans, creating a network of plans nationwide to aid in the recovery
  of abducted children.
• Tribal nations are working to develop their own plans tailored to their specific needs so that children in Indian country may benefit from AMBER Alert.
• Ninety percent of the 308 AMBER Alert recoveries have occurred since AMBER Alert became a nationally coordinated effort in 2002.
• In May 2005, OJP, along with other government officials and the wireless industry, announced that wireless users can receive geographically specified messages on their wireless devices through an AMBER Alert wireless messaging system.
• Anecdotal evidence demonstrates that perpetrators are well aware of the power of AMBER Alert and in many cases have released an abducted child upon hearing the alert.