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National | Children's programme

Amber Alerts initiative launched to help find missing and at-risk children

The New Zealand Police in collaboration with Facebook have joined forces to create an alert system to help find missing children. The system is called Amber Alerts.

If it is believed a missing child or young person under 18 years old is at serious risk or harm, the Police Communication Centre will activate the Amber Alert.

Facebook users in the targeted search area will then receive a notification at the top of their news feed – and can share the alert across their networks. Media organisations will also receive an immediate notification.

The Alerts posted to Facebook will include a photograph of the child or young person and detailed information surrounding their circumstances.

The idea of Amber Alerts originated from America and is named after nine-year-old Amber Hagerman from Texas who was abducted and murdered. When she went missing her community banded together to set up a network for missing children. It is now used in all 50 US states and 22 other countries, 14 of them through a partnership between police organisations and Facebook.

Here is the Link to the New Zealand Poice Facebook Page.