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NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN'S DAY OBSERVED IN WISCONSIN

Statewide Amber Alert System Will Be Tested Today

MADISON - The Wisconsin Amber Alert System will be tested statewide today (May 25, 2007) at approximately 9:10 a.m. in recognition of National Missing Children's Day.  The Amber Alert advisory committee agreed to do a "live" test of the system in remembrance of all missing children.

“Wisconsin’s Amber Alert Program is a collaborative partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to alert the general public when a child is abducted,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.  “I’m grateful to our citizens and partners in this successful effort.  “DOJ’s Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children and Adults is working hard every day to reunite the hundreds of missing kids in this State with their families.  I invite you to visit the Wisconsin Department of Justice Website  for more information about how you and your family can help.”

The Child Abduction Emergency Code will be used for the "live" test.  The audio portion of the test will state that it is only a test.  TV and cable operations will indicate that a Child Abduction Emergency exists; however, a crawl message will state "This is a test."   Wisconsin highway message board signs will not be tested.  The fax and e-mail notification system will not be tested, in order to save available funding for actual Amber Alerts.

The latest partner in Wisconsin's Amber Alert System is the Outdoor Advertising Association of Wisconsin (OAAW).  The outdoor digital signboards that OAAW can make available for use during an Amber Alert activation will enable law enforcement to disseminate both text information and any available photographs when a child has been abducted.  The Amber Alert System will also be testing these outdoor digital signboards on May 25th as part of the National Missing Children's Day remembrance.

In a statement, the Outdoor Advertising Association of Wisconsin noted, "The extension of our digital billboards to the Amber Alert system in Wisconsin is in keeping with our policy of supporting the communities where we conduct business.  The OAAW member companies in Wisconsin support numerous public service activities by donating advertising space to charities and non-profit organizations throughout the state every year."

“Wisconsin's Amber Alert system has successfully recovered 14 children.  The success of the Amber Alert system is directly related to the partnership of alert citizens and the media with local law enforcement,” Van Hollen said.  “The Department of Justice thanks all our dedicated Amber Alert partners: Wisconsin Broadcasters, Dane County 911, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Wisconsin Lottery, Outdoor Advertising Association of Wisconsin, state and local law enforcement and citizens.”

Wisconsin wireless subscribers can help in the search for an abducted child by signing up at www.amberalertwisconsin.org to receive free Amber Alerts notifications on their cell phones.  Subscribers can designate up to five geographic areas from which they would like to receive Amber Alert notifications.  For more information regarding missing persons in Wisconsin, please visit www.doj.state.wi.us.