“For the past few years, Arkansans have known the benefits of the Morgan Nick Alert, a similar system that puts the entire state on watch for missing children and their abductors,” Ross said.  “The National AMBER Alert Network will extend that safety net to the entire country.  Think about it; we rely on alerts from the National Weather Service to keep us prepared for tornadoes.  The same weather alert is issued on a multi-state level, wherever the danger exists.  Tornadoes don’t stop at state lines, and neither do child abductors.

“The first few hours after a child goes missing are critical.  Think about how far you can drive in an hour – in twenty-four hours, a kidnapper could be two states away.  With the nationwide AMBER Alert system, the alerts would follow that kidnapper, and no matter where they turned, people like you and me would be on the lookout to help return that child to his or her family.”

In addition to creating a national alert system, the proposal will provide states and localities with grants for communications improvements to stop child kidnappers from escaping simply by traveling outside the reach of radio and TV broadcasts.

To learn more about the AMBER Alert and how to protect your child, visit the website for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, www.missingkids.com.