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2018 AMBER Alert Report: Analysis of AMBER Alert Cases in 2018

NCJ Number
254120
Date Published
May 2019
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This report presents information on AMBER Alerts issued in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018, and received by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Abstract
For the specified period, 161 AMBER Alerts were issued in the United States, involving 203 children. At the time the AMBER Alert cases were received at NCMEC, there were 97 family abductions (FAs); 56 non-family abductions (NFAs); 6 lost, injured, or otherwise missing (LIMs); and 2 endangered runaways (ERUs). Of the 161 AMBER Alerts issued during this period, 155 cases resulted in a recovery, 28 of which were recovered as a direct result of an AMBER Alert being issued. As of February 26, 2019, when statistics for this report were finalized, 11 children remained actively missing and 7 children were located deceased. In 2018, 70 percent (n=112) of AMBER Alerts were issued state-wide or territory-wide; 30 percent (n=49) of AMBER Alerts were issued regionally, and no AMBER Alerts were issued locally. The 161 AMBER Alerts were issued in 37 states. Texas issued the most AMBER Alerts (23 or 14 percent), followed by Ohio, with 9 percent (n=15). This report presents case data for the specified period on the following issues: recoveries outside of state/territory where AMBER Alert was first activated; missing location; recovery location; international abductions; infants involved in AMBER Alerts; success stories; time between activation and recovery for success cases; AMBER Alerts involving sexual assault victims; Team Adam consultant deployment; FBI involvement; command post use; five- year comparison of AMBER Alerts; and map of AMBER Alert activations. 24 tables and 23 figures

Date Published: May 1, 2019

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