After two Emporia children went missing briefly late last week, Emporia Police are clarifying policies when it comes to using AMBER Alerts — and officers are considering a new method of communicating when missing child cases don’t reach AMBER Alert levels.
Officers announced separate searches Friday afternoon and evening, with both juveniles found shortly after officers asked for help through the Police Department Facebook page. Police Capt. Ray Mattas tells KVOE News the concern wasn’t about the children being abducted. Instead, it was because of the cold conditions.
Mattas says there are strict criteria that need to be met before AMBER Alerts are issued. First and foremost, they are only announced in abduction situations.
Now that the city of Emporia has started notifications through its CodeRed system, Mattas says officers may start using CodeRed in times when children are missing but abduction is not a concern.
Residents wanting to sign up for the CodeRed system can do so through phone, text, email or the CodeRed mobile app.
