2016 AMBER Alert Report: Analysis of AMBER Alert Cases in 2016

• NCJ Number: 250929
• Date Published: April 2017
• Length: 43 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2016-MC-FX-K001
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Statistics; Report (Grant Sponsored); Report (Annual/Periodic)

Annotation

This report presents information on AMBER Alerts for missing and abducted children throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016, and intaked by The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Abstract

Although an AMBER Alert case may be activated in multiple areas, this report only accounts for alerts in the State/territory of first activation. Cases are analyzed according to the case type for which the AMBER Alert was issued, not the case type at the time of recovery. From January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, 179 AMBER Alerts were issued in the United States involving 231 children. At the time the AMBER Alert cases were intaked at NCMEC, there were 107 labeled family abductions; 60 labeled non- family abductions; 6 labeled lost, injured, or otherwise missing; and 6 labeled endangered runaway. Of the 170 AMBER Alerts issued for this period, 155 cases resulted in a recovery, 43 of which were successfully recovered as a direct result of an AMBER Alert being issued. As of February 24, 2017, when statistics for this report were finalized for the cases issued in 2016, 3 children remained missing and 13 children were deceased when located. In 2016, 72 percent (n=128) of AMBER Alerts were issued State-/territory-wide; 27 percent (n=48) were issued regionally; and 2 percent (n=3) were issued locally. The 179 AMBER Alerts were issued in 38 States. Texas issued the most Alerts (n=16; 9 percent), followed by Georgia and Florida (7 percent each). 24 tables, 23 figures, and a map showing the range of activations and case types