Child Rescue Alert
 Sussex
Police became the first police force in the UK to adopt Child Rescue Alert when,
on November 14th 2002, the scheme was launched with the full support of Sara
Payne - the mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah.
The scheme works by interrupting television and radio programmes with news flashes
that a youngster has been abducted, alerting the public to the incident immediately
- asking them to be vigilant and call 999 if
they have crucial information.
Amber Alert
Then Detective Chief Superintendent Jeremy Paine (now
the Assistant Chief Constable of Sussex Police) undertook the
launch of the scheme after a trip to America, where he was
introduced to Amber Alert. Amber Alert is an initiative that
was set up in Texas following the kidnapping and murder of
nine-year-old Amber Hagerman in 1996. Amber Alert has since
spread across America, helping to save the lives of over 100
children.
Upon the launch of Child Rescue Alert, Mr Paine said: “The main aspect
about this scheme is to get as much information to as many people as possible,
as quickly as possible, in order to save that life.”
Real-life test
Since the launch of Child Rescue Alert the scheme has been mainstreamed
into Sussex Police’s missing persons policy and was put through its
first real-life test in 2003, when six-year-old Summer Haipule from Brighton
was reported as missing. Alerts were broadcast across the media before she was
eventually found safe and well by a neighbour.
When
to launch an alert
There are four key criteria to be met before a Child Rescue Alert is issued:
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A child under the age of 18 years old is missing. |
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There is reasonable belief that the child is
in imminent danger of serious harm or death. |
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There is reasonable belief that the child has been child
has been kidnapped or abducted. |
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There is sufficient information available to
enable the public to assist the police in locating the child. |
Making the decision
What happens when a Child Rescue Alert is launched?
The key decision is whether to launch an alert at all. It is felt that overuse will destroy confidence in the system.
It is acknowledged that the four criteria are all subjective - which is why
the rank authorising such an alert will be that of, at the very least, superintendent.
The authorising officer will allow for a circulation of an alert to all media
outlets the individual force has agreements with, which will contain
some or all of the following:
- Description of the child
- Scanned photo of the child
- Details of location and nature of the offence
- Description of the offender(s)
- CCTV/photo of the offender(s)
- Details of vehicle used
Newsflash
Radio stations will broadcast this alert every 15 minutes for four hours. TV
stations will use a 'ticker tape' at
the bottom of the screen, directing the public to a page on their news text services
(Ceefax etc) or, if a local transmission, will interrupt and show a newsflash.
Members of the public will be encouraged to keep their eyes and ears open for
anything that may assist the police in recovering the kidnapped child. If they
spot anything they should call the police using the 999 system (or the phone
number provided via the broadcasts).
For any further information in Sussex contact DI Jeff Lister on 0845 60 70 999.
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Go and visit the official Child Rescue Alert Website for more details and contact
details.
Read how the abduction and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Texas led to the Amber Alert Plan.