AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers

18 Pages·2006·0.84 MB·English

Contents
Brief History of AMBER Alert..................................................................1

The PIO’s Role in an AMBER ALERT ......................................................2

Choosing a PIO ........................................................................................4

Structuring the Incident Management System ....................................5

Organizing Media Briefings ....................................................................6

Ensuring the Message Has Been Received............................................7

Controlling the Spread of Rumors ........................................................8

The PIO’s Role in the Deactivation Phase..............................................9

Thanking AMBER Alert Participants ....................................................10

A Final Word ............................................................................................11

Bibliography ............................................................................................11

Contributors............................................................................................12

July 2006
NCJ 212703
AMBER Alert
Best Practices Guide for
Public Information Officers
TT Brief History of
he success of an AMBER
Alert is often measured by
AMBER Alert
how quickly and timely a
public Alert can be issued. Re­
The idea for an
search has shown that when citi­
early warning
zens are aware a reliable mecha­
system was con­
nism exists to help locate abduct­
ceived in 1996 as
ed children, and when they view
a memorial to
their role as both worthy and ef­
nine-year-old
fective, they willingly serve as
Amber Hager­
thousands of additional eyes and
man, who was kidnapped while
ears on behalf of law enforcement
riding her bicycle in Arlington,
(Burns and Crawford, 1999; Zgoba,
Texas, and later brutally mur­
2004; Rothe and Muzzatti, 2004).
dered. Dallas area broadcasters
came up with the idea of using
Additional research has shown
Emergency Alert System (EAS)
that among missing child cases
equipment to rapidly relay child
ending in homicide, the murder
abduction information. Broadcast­
usually occurs within the first
ers approached local law enforce­
three hours following the abduc­
ment with the concept, and
tion (Hanfland, Keppel, and Weis,
America’s first AMBER Alert pro­
1997). The AMBER Alert program
gram was born.The idea was sim­
works because citizens know what
ple: Law enforcement, media, and
to look for, who to contact, and
transportation formed a network
what is at stake. AMBER Alert pro­
to inform the public of a child
vides both a dependable method
abduction.The public information
for helping law enforcement lo­
officer (PIO) would be the commu­
cate an abducted child and a
nication cornerstone of this net­
program goal that is widely per­
work. When police had confirmed
ceived as both worthwhile and
that a child abduction had taken
noble. Quite simply, AMBER Alert
place, the department’s PIO would
is a model program for the public.
AMBER Alert systems work best
The public information officer (PIO) should be the
when all component agencies/
organizations function in a primary point of contact for the media. This means
smooth and consistent manner.
that the PIO should be responsible for conveying
The effectiveness of the law en­
forcement agency’s public infor­ all information from the law enforcement agency
mation operations will be
to the public via the media and for fielding inquiries
enhanced by strong leadership
and direction based on clear from journalists and the public.
departmental policies and
procedures.
AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers 1
notify the media, who would national network of AMBER Alert
broadcast announcements with as plans that will work together for
much information as possible. the safety of the children.
These announcements would en­
able viewers and the listening
The PIO’s Role
public to provide the extra eyes
and ears that could increase the in an AMBER
likelihood that a child abductor
Alert
would be caught before those first
three critical hours had elapsed.
The PIO’s primary function during
an AMBER Alert is to convey accu­
The early warning concept, now
rate and timely information from
called AMBER (America’s Missing:
the law enforcement agency to
Broadcast Emergency Response)
the public via the media. Law en­
Alert, quickly spread to other com­
forcement chief executives and
munities and states. Some of
supervisors are tasked with run­
these programs are very sophisti­
ning the overall AMBER Alert op­
cated, while others are still in de­
eration and do not have time to
velopment. In 2002, President
field inquiries from the media or
George W. Bush directed the U.S.
the public. Similarly, public in­
Department of Justice to help
quiries should be directed to the
every state set up its own AMBER
PIO and away from police dis­
plan. This Best Practices Guide for
patchers, whose duties do not in­
Public Information Officers is de­
clude disseminating information.
signed to help state, regional, and
local programs develop and im­
A law enforcement agency’s PIO
prove their plans and to promote
performs the following essential
consistency across all programs.
functions in the AMBER Alert
program:
This guide is based on hours of
research, correspondence, and ✣ Alerting the public via the me­
discussion with state, regional,
dia to be on the lookout for a
and local AMBER Alert coordina­
missing child.
tors and their PIOs, who talked
openly about their experiences ✣ Enhancing media coverage of
and volunteered the content of the missing child incident by
their plans so others could bene­ providing photographs, videos,
fit. It presents the wisdom of coor­ and other visual aids to help
dinators working on the frontline identify the victim(s) and/or
of the AMBER Alert programs, suspect(s).
who understand that no two com­
munities or AMBER programs are ✣ Ensuring that the story stays
exactly alike but whose goal is alive by providing regular
nevertheless the same: to create a
2 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers
updates with accurate and
timely information.
The PIO will be a key point of contact
✣ Directing media and public until the AMBER Alert incident is no
inquiries to their proper
longer a news item.
destinations.
✣ Gauging public opinions and the PIO will play a less visible but
media perceptions for the no less important role. Job re­
agency. sponsibilities will evolve with
each new change in circum­
✣ Anticipating possible worst- stances, and the PIO can reason­
case scenarios and preparing ably expect to take on additional
the agency’s response to the duties once the public warning
types of questions likely to ac­ phase has ended.
company such scenarios.
This guide describes the PIO’s job
✣ Providing family members and responsibilities and provides tips
friends with effective strategies to maximize the PIO’s effective­
for conducting media inter­ ness before, during, and after an
views and press conferences, AMBER Alert activation. It offers
safeguarding investigatory de­ recommendations for helping law
tails of the case, and protecting enforcement agencies achieve a
the family’s privacy. smooth, rapid public warning acti­
vation program. This guide is not
✣ Participating in post-Alert evalu­
meant to usurp or undermine an
ations to improve systems and
agency’s established policies and
procedures.
procedures governing the PIO’s
role in working with the media
No law enforcement agency
during an AMBER Alert activation.
should be without a PIO during
Rather, its purpose is to under­
this critical time of need for public
score the value of the PIO as an
and media assistance. In the early
integral member of the public
stages of an AMBER Alert, the
warning network, one who will be
PIO’s presence will be particularly
most helpful to the AMBER Alert
prominent. That is when press
team when he or she has been a
conferences, media interviews,
key member from the outset.
and similar events will keep the
PIO’s name and face in the public
The department’s chief executive
eye.
officer (CEO) must have confi­
dence in the PIO, and the PIO
After the Alert has been deactivat­
must be able to function with the
ed and the emphasis shifted to
CEO’s authority. An AMBER Alert
the ensuing criminal investigation,
activation does not allow the
AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers 3
luxury of time to determine a line recommendations for improving
of authority between the chief and its AMBER plan.
supporting personnel such as first
responders and case supervisors. The PIO’s specific duties during an
AMBER Alert activation may vary
Ideally, the PIO should be in­ among agencies, but are likely to
volved in an AMBER Alert activa­ be similar in the following key
tion from the very beginning. ways:
Attempts by the PIO to catch up or
get up to speed on the events ✣ The PIO either assists in or is
leading up to an AMBER Alert or immediately made aware of the
that happen during an Alert will decision to activate or deacti­
be time consuming and counter­ vate an AMBER Alert.
productive. The best way to en­
✣ The PIO is considered an essen­
sure the PIO is included in all
tial member of the agency’s in­
facets of the AMBER Alert process
cident management structure
is to define the PIO’s responsibili­
before, during, and after an
ties clearly in the law enforcement
AMBER Alert so that he or she
agency’s policies and procedures.
understands all aspects of the
Every law enforcement agency operation.
should establish and regularly up­
✣ The PIO continues to be part of
date its policies and procedures.
the incident management struc­
The procedures for AMBER Alerts
ture after an AMBER Alert has
should clearly identify steps for
been deactivated.
the PIO to follow. For example:
✣ When and how to notify the
Choosing a PIO
media that an Alert has been
issued.
Ideally, the PIO should work full
✣ How to handle or where to di­ time for the law enforcement
agency and have expertise in the
rect inquiries from the media.
process of releasing information
✣ How to handle or where to di­ to the public through the media.
rect inquiries from the public. However, smaller agencies may
not have that option. Some
The agency’s procedures will smaller agencies have to share a
likely need to be revised following PIO, while others designate a
an AMBER Alert incident, when municipal or county employee
the AMBER Alert team evaluates to perform that function. Some
the effectiveness of the total agencies hire an independent con­
incident response and makes tractor to serve as the PIO.
4 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers
If a law enforcement agency has a the primary designated point of
small force with no full-time PIO contact—the PIO—should remain
position, the agency could desig­ the same.
nate one key officer in advance to
Structuring
handle AMBER Alert responsibili­
ties once an Alert has been acti­ the Incident
vated.The designated PIO should Management
then be trained so that he or she System
can be effective in dealing with
both the media and the public
The Incident Management System
during a public warning activity.
(IMS) represents National Incident
Management System protocol as
The PIO must be under the con­
required by statutory regulations
trol of the chief or sheriff and
of the U.S. Department of Home­
must fully understand the intricate
land Security.The PIO should be
process of releasing information.
strategically placed within the IMS
In addition, the PIO must have ac­
so that he or she has direct access
cess to information, key agency
to all law enforcement personnel
personnel (including the chief or
in command of the operation. Ac­
sheriff), the crime scene area, and
cess to information is essential for
other areas where information
the PIO to establish a smooth flow
may be generated.
of information to the public and
monitor how well the media are
Once a primary PIO has been ap­
disseminating details about the
pointed, it may be useful to identi­
Alert.
fy a backup PIO to assist or fill in
when the primary PIO is absent.
The structure of the IMS should al­
The PIO may wish to designate
low the PIO to make immediate
points of contact for specific infor­
contact with command personnel
mation, but only the PIO should
and, at the same time, to deliver
make this decision. In any case,
Figure 1. Optimal Position of PIO in IMS
IInncciiddeenntt CCoommmmaannddeerr
PPIIOO
CCoommmmaanndd CCoommmmaanndd CCoommmmaanndd CCoommmmaanndd
PPoossiittiioonn PPoossiittiioonn PPoossiittiioonn PPoossiittiioonn
AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers 5
messages to and retrieve informa­ briefing schedule, establishing the
tion from personnel within the location of the briefings (away
overall operational response struc­ from the command center if pos­
ture. Figure 1 shows the optimal sible), and securing parking for
position of the PIO within the IMS. media vehicles. In addition, the
This management structure gives PIO should do the following:
the PIO access to the IMS com­
mander and to the individual com­ ✣ Choose a location for the brief­
mand officers who work with all ing area that will meet the
investigative aspects of the AMBER needs of both investigators and
Alert. Traditional command hierar­ the media. The PIO should con­
chical structures incorporate the sider parking lots and other
PIO into the key deliberative and public areas rather than law en­
decisionmaking bodies within the forcement headquarters.
law enforcement agency. A PIO
✣ Set the tone for the media brief­
who has access to key decision-
ing. He or she should also re­
making processes will be in the
main in control of the entire
best possible position to ensure
briefing and of the briefing envi­
that only responsible messages
ronment (e.g., where it takes
that will effectively inform the pub­
place, participants’ roles, struc­
lic about law enforcement’s search
ture of briefing).
for a missing child are delivered to
the media.
✣ Consider creating a pool
arrangement with the media,
Organizing if necessary.
Media
✣ Alert the media if the briefing
Briefings
will be broadcast as a live tele­
vision news conference.
The PIO should be responsible
for all logistics involving media
briefings, including creating the
Getting a Grip on Technology
New developments in technology will affect the dissemination of in­
formation to and the retrieval of information from the public. All
PIOs should be able to use current technologies such as faxes, digital
scanners and cameras, e-mail communications, and Web sites. PIOs
also should keep abreast of new satellite technologies such as XM
and SIRIUS satellite transmissions and OnStar emergency road serv­
ice, which undoubtedly will play a role in the future of AMBER Alert
communications.
6 AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers
✣ Start every media briefing Ensuring the
with an opening statement by
Message Has
an appropriate law enforcement
Been Received
official followed by a question-
and-answer session (if previous­
During the public warning phase,
ly agreed to by officials).
AMBER Alerts are generally dis­
✣ Provide additional information seminated through text messag­
about the victim(s) and/or sus­ ing, which means the request for
pect(s) along with photographs activation and the ensuing public
and home videos if available, warning messages are most often
as approved by command offi­ in written form. Written messages
cials, to enhance the media’s are found on U.S. Department of
coverage of the incident. Transportation veritable message
signs as well as on television
✣ Enlist the aid of media technical broadcasts, where a verbal Alert
personnel if copies of video­ announcement is often accompa­
tapes or audiotapes and live nied or followed by a written text
feeds are necessary (if family message “crawling” across the
members and/or the command­ top or bottom of the television
er in charge of the investigation screen. All messages are generat­
have granted approval for their ed from a law enforcement
use). agency.
✣ Use a digital camera and A PIO whose responsibilities in­
have the capacity to transmit clude requesting the media to ac­
digital photos to the media if tivate an AMBER Alert is equally
necessary. responsible for ensuring that the
message has been understood
✣ Take and disseminate photo­ and properly carried out. A PIO
graphs of selected areas of who does not have this responsi­
crime scenes to aid in identifica­ bility should nevertheless verify,
tion, if appropriate. Such photos on behalf of his or her agency,
should be disseminated only that the request for activation has
with command officials’ been made.
approval.
The PIO should not assume an
✣ Plan for worst-case scenarios by AMBER Alert message has been
anticipating both the types of received just because it was sent
questions that are likely to arise by traditional means such as fax
in such a scenario and the or e-mail. The PIO should do the
agency’s response. following to verify that the
AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers 7