An Amber Alert, that is immediately made clear in two words: this is serious

The report arrives at the police on Monday morning around 8 a.m. Two children, six and eleven, brother and sister, are missing. They were last seen at Dalfsen station. About six hours later, more than two million Dutch people are informed via Burgernet about the missing of the children, their photo can be seen everywhere. Tuesday, in the morning, an update will follow: « Both children were found in good health. We thank everyone for looking out. »

Every day children are lost in the Netherlands, but an Amber Alert only sends the police in exceptional cases. At most a few times a year, a call is made that reaches hundreds of thousands of telephones, televisions, radios, matrix boards, screens in stations, supermarkets, gas stations and cinemas within ten minutes, and sometimes even appears on ATMs. Citizens are called upon to share information about a possible place of residence, about vehicles or stakeholders in the loss. « This is our very heavy means, » said a police spokesperson. It is only used if a child is possible in danger.

The police estimate that they can reach around twelve million people in one fell swoop. Everywhere you see communication, the call can be shown, said National Coordinator Missing persons Izanne de Wit there earlier over. « In two words you can immediately make it clear to the public: this is serious. In addition, you immediately give an action perspective. You say, » Look and help us! « 

Warning system

Amber Alert owes his name to an American girl. In 1996, nine -year -old Amber Hagerman was found dead in Texas, a few days earlier she was abducted during the outside. After this event, residents of the state insisted on a fast and effective warning system, so that citizens could better help with future missing. What started with reports on the local radio grew into a national initiative with the name Amber: America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

In the Netherlands, Amber Alert has been around since 2008. Two men, IT’er Frank Hoen and former police officer Carlo Schippers, joined forces to set up a similar system as in the United States. They saw opportunities in the rise of social networks such as Hyves, Hoen told at the ten -year anniversary at the Ad. With the support of various parties, they developed software that could not only send massive text messages, but could also be linked to systems from, for example, Rijkswaterstaat and the Dutch Railways. The much -discussed disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann In 2007, the need for a Dutch Amber Alert strengthened. Not long after, the government decided to hire Netresperenter, the company of Hoen and Schippers.

The first Amber Alert was immediately successful. On February 14, 2009, four -year -old Lorenzo was looking in the center of Rotterdam. Within two hours he was found: employees of the McDonald’s had seen him on television and recognized him in the ball box.

Where citizens were then informed via SMS, this has been happening with an app since 2021. Once The tender of Amber Alert Was disputed, the service moved to Burgernet: the platform on which citizens, police and municipalities work together. The police bought the brand name for 1.8 million euros, unveiled Free Netherlands. The investigation of the investigation became a government service.

If a loss has been resolved, an Amber Alert will be withdrawn again. According to the police, how often the call is successful is difficult to express: « Those extra eyes of the citizen are very valuable to us, but the drug never stands on its own. » There is always a rural control room where « 24/7 » decisions are made about the use of investigation methods such as tracking dogs, a helicopter or checking telephone data.

The search for the brother and sister from Dalfsen led on Monday to a house in the middle of Belgium. The children were found there at night, together with their biological parents. They were arrested on suspicion of the children – who are in a foster family – to the legal authority.

The police soon made an « urgent request » to remove the photos to everyone and not to share the names of those involved. Due to privacy, the police consciously do not share last names at an Amber Alert. « Information can go on the internet for a long time. »

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