| Informational Website: |
http://www.wvstatepolice.com/amber.htm |
| Contact Person: |
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| Administrating Agency: |
West Virginia State Police |
Participating Agencies and Organizations:
|
West Virginia State Police, West Virginia Broadcasters, West Virginia Emergency Alert System Committee and the National Weather Service, and local law enforcement. |
| Steps for Activation: |
The West Virginia State Police will make every reasonable effort to ensure strict criteria is applied when any law enforcement agency requests activation of West Virginia’s Amber Alert System. All necessary precautions to authenticate information and limit interruptions of local radio and television broadcasts must and will be taken, as over utilization or false information could render the Amber Alert System ineffective. Therefore, for the West Virginia Amber Alert System to be activated, the West Virginia State Police Communication Center will serve as the contact point for Amber Alert requests. |
| Scope of Amber Alert: |
Statewide |
| Criteria for Activation: |
Law enforcement confirms a child 17 years of age or younger has been abducted; Law enforcement believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death; Law enforcement has enough descriptive information about the child, abductor and suspect’s vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast will facilitate the child’s location; and a law enforcement officer must enter the abducted child into NCIC and must provide supporting documentation as to why the Amber Alert System should be activated. |
| Utilizes Emergency Alert System: |
Once a determination is made that the use of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) may aid in the locating of an abducted child, the West Virginia State Police will provide as much detailed information as reported by the investigating agency. This information will be broadcast over a three-hour period via television and radio. During the first hour, the Amber Alert will be broadcast every fifteen minutes. During the second and third hours, the information will be sent every half hour. |
| Reporting Phone Number: |
911 - If you witness a child abduction, contact your local law enforcement agency to report it quickly by calling 911. Be sure to make note of important information such as the physical characteristics of the child and suspect, the make and model of any vehicles involved (as well as license-plate numbers if possible), and the precise location of the abduction. |
| Success Story: |
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