Hawaii Builds Interagency Collaboration Around Amber Alert

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle last week announced a coordinated statewide plan, known as the MAILE AMBER Alert to quickly recover abducted children. Maile is an acronym for "Minor Abducted in Life-threatening Emergency and America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response," and is in honor of the memory of Maile Gilbert, a 6-year-old who was kidnapped from a party in Kailua in 1985. The AMBER portion refers to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas.

Even though each county police department had previously instituted a child recovery plan, said Lingle in a release, this new, voluntary partnership unites state and county agencies, TV and radio broadcasters, the federal government and individual citizens in searching for missing children and their abductors. By launching this program, Hawai`i joins the other 49 states in having a statewide alert system.

"The MAILE AMBER Alert is a wonderful example of collaboration spanning many jurisdictions," said Lingle. "We are all working together for one vital purpose -- saving children from potential harm during those critical first few hours after an abduction has occurred."

Lt. Governor James R. "Duke" Aiona, Jr. also praised the program. "As a parent, your worst nightmare is to lose a son or daughter," he said. "By expanding this alert system across the islands, we are sending an unmistakable message to would-be child abductors -- the entire state is watching and you will be caught."

County of Hawai`i Police Chief Lawrence K. Mahuna said a coordinated response is critical when a child is abducted. "This alert is something that law enforcement and all government officials need to support in every way," he said. "We also need the help of our residents -- they are our eyes and our ears."

Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa said he was grateful for the way so many government agencies came together to create the new plan. "The Honolulu Police Department is pleased to be partnering with our neighbor island counterparts, state agencies and the media on this important community program," he said. "We hope that we will never have to issue a MAILE AMBER alert; however, it will be available if we do."

If police believe an alert should be issued, they activate the state Civil Defense Emergency Alert System. Participating television and radio stations will then interrupt their normal programming to broadcast the alert. The state Department of the Attorney General's Missing Child Center -- Hawai`i will be notified, as will the National Crime Information Center. In addition, the state Department of Transportation will use its highway message signs to alert drivers and seek their assistance if they spot the suspect's vehicle.