BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYSIS
Missing Children Clearinghouse Amber Alert Program
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Indiana Amber Alert Program operated by the Indiana State Police notifies the public about recently abducted children in Indiana using the national Emergency Alert System (EAS). Interested parties to the program have expressed concern about the length of time between the declaration of an Amber Alert and the publication of the Alert on the EAS. Some measurable improvement is possible by reordering some of the steps in the execution of an Amber Alert, and by using more automated means to communicate information internally between actors in the program. However, the program overall is effective in accomplishing its stated objectives.
BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
The Indiana Amber Alert Program was established by the Indiana State Legislature in 2002, as part of the Indiana Missing Children Clearinghouse at the Indiana State Police. The purpose of an Amber Alert is to create a high level of public awareness whenever a child is abducted or missing under circumstances potentially dangerous to the child. The program uses radio, television, dynamic highway signs and even cellular telephone text messaging to inform the public about the circumstances surrounding the missing child's disappearance.
When a child is reported missing under qualifying circumstances to a local law enforcement agency, referred to as the "Lead Agency", the principal investigator for that agency calls the Enforcement Operations ("Ops") desk at Indiana State Police headquarters and requests the issuance of an Amber Alert, relating the circumstances of the disappearance to the Operations Officer. Ops faxes an information sheet to the Lead Agency requesting specific descriptive details ...