Activation Criteria
To activate the AMBER Alert Plan in Missouri, law enforcement agencies must ensure the following criteria are met:
- Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred, which meets the definition in RSMo. 565.110 or 565.115.
- Law enforcement officials believe there is a credible threat of serious bodily injury or death.
- Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert.
- The victim of the abduction is a child age 17 years or younger.
- The child's name and other critical data elements - including the child abduction (CA) flag - have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system.
Note: Parental abductions do not qualify unless sufficient evidence exists to indicate that harm may come to a child from the parent, guardian or other official custodial entity.
Activation Process
- Trained local law enforcement personnel in the community where the abduction occurred must first determine if all the activation criteria are met.
- If so, the local agency should contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F Headquarters at 573-751-1000 and request an AMBER Alert. Troop F Communications will contact the state AMBER Alert coordinator or their designee and initiate a conference call between the local agency, Troop F Communications, and the coordinator or designee. After a brief discussion regarding the abduction and each criteria section, the coordinator or designee will make the decision whether the situation rises to the level of an AMBER Alert. If the decision is made to activate the AMBER Alert system, Troop F Communications will take the abduction information over the telephone from the local agency and initiate the alert process.
- If not already completed, the local agency must initiate a Missing Person computer entry in MULES as required in the National Child Search Act (42 U.S.C. 5779, 5780).
- The local agency should also fill out the AMBER Alert request form in MULES 5 (type AMBER in the command line). This form sends a message via MULES to Troop F Communications to notify them of the pending AMBER Alert request. If the agency needs assistance filling out the AMBER form, Troop F Communications can assist the agency.
- If the local agency does not have access to the AMBER Alert request form in MULES 5, complete a Missouri AMBER Alert Abduction Form found on the Missouri State Highway Patrol website under “Missing Persons” at the top of the page. This form can be emailed to moalerts@mshp.dps.mo.gov or faxed to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F Headquarters at 573-751-6814. Contact Troop F Communications at 573-751-1000 to verify the email/fax was received. Once approved, Troop F Communications will disseminate the alert.
- If the coordinator or designee doesn’t feel the situation rises to the level of an AMBER Alert, other options can be explored.
***** To request an AMBER Alert make sure you have made an NCIC Missing Persons Entry using the (CA) flag and then call the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F at 573-751-1000 *****
Missouri AMBER Alert Activation Form is available for local law enforcement agencies.
Canceling The AMBER Alert
- Mark the AMBER Alert form with "Cancellation" and provide a brief description of the cancellation details in the "Brief Circumstances" box.
- Email (moalerts@mshp.dps.mo.gov) or fax (573-751-6814) the form to the Missouri State Highway Patrol; Troop F Headquarters.
- The agency must also call the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop F Headquarters at 573-751-1000 to verify the form was received.