AMBER Alert in Indian Country News

Recent Indian Country News

Not Invisible Act Commission Member Reflects on NIAC’s Key Findings

By Rebecca Sherman Jolene Hardesty has faced challenges in her 20 years of public service—from her early days as a 911 sheriff’s office dispatcher to her current role as Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Analyst and Missing Persons Coordinator for the Michigan State Police. And while she has helped rescue an estimated 600 children by providing analytical, […]

‘Warrior Mom’ Pamela Foster Addresses Tribal Leaders About Need for AMBER Alert Training & Collaboration

By Denise Gee Peacock At the 2024 National AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP)/AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Symposium in New Orleans, Pamela Foster—the mother of Ashlynne Mike, namesake of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018—spoke directly to Tribal leadership about the need for AMBER Alerts and AMBER […]

AMBER Alert in Indian Country Leader Named ‘Champion of Change’

  Tyesha M. Wood—a Program Manager for the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) who oversees the AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Initiative—is one of five public servants nationwide selected by the End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) organization as a 2024 “Champion of Change.” EVAWI operates as a catalyst for justice […]

Dozens of Technology Toolkits now with Minnesota and Wisconsin Tribes

The AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program’s AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) team recently provided Technology Toolkits to nearly two dozen Tribal nations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Each durable toolkit—containing a rugged laptop, webcam, digital camera, scanner, and hotspot device with six free months of WiFi—can help Tribes work more quickly and efficiently […]

Alaska’s Chickaloon Tribal Police Receive AIIC Technology Toolkit

      The Chickaloon Tribal Police Department in Palmer, Alaska, recently received a Technology Toolkit to help their team quickly and effectively respond to missing child incidents. The Toolkits provide critically important resources for Tribal law enforcement, including a Panasonic Toughbook Tablet, Pelican protector case, headset, scanner, camera, and more. The Toolkits are provided […]

Six Minnesota Tribes Receive Technology Toolkits at Regional Law Enforcement Event

Law enforcement leaders from six federally recognized Tribes in Minnesota recently met with representatives from the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative as well as the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Department of Public Safety.  The AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) team recently provided Technology […]

Two New Classes Focus on Missing Children in Indian Country Resources & Investigations

Two new online, self-paced courses have been developed by the AMBER Alert in Indian Country/AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Programs for the Missing Child Investigations in Indian Country (MCI-IC) Series. The popular MCI-IC Series’ growing roster of classes, accessible via the National Criminal Justice Training Center, is designed to help law enforcement respond to cases of […]

Navajo Nation Issues Historic ‘Guidelines for Missing Persons’

The Navajo Nation has issued a ground-breaking executive order to investigate and locate missing Navajo persons in a manner that is empathetic to victims and their families. On Monday, October 24, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez were joined by Navajo Nation Police Chief Darryl Noon, Navajo Nation Executive Branch division […]

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NAVAJO NATION GETS AMBER ALERT

WINDOW ROCK – On Tuesday, Navajo Nation Russell Begaye signed a contract to purchase a mass notification software to implement an emergency alert system for road closures, weather notifications, hazardous waste spills, wildland fires and AMBER Alerts.

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NATIONAL MISSING CHILDRENS DAY

OJJDP's official page for National Missing Children's Day, which takes place every May 25, includes resources for finding missing children, and details about the awards, ceremony and poster contest.

 

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SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES McCAIN BILL TO EXPAND AMBER ALERT SYSTEM ON NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs today passed the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2017Read the Full Release

CONGRESSMAN BIGGS INTRODUCES THE "AMBER ALERT IN INDIAN COUNTRY ACT OF 2017"

May 25, 2017  |  Press Release

"No child – regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, or birthplace – should be outside the protection and jurisdiction of such a vital security resource"

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Biggs introduced the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2017.

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FIRST CHILD RECOVERED BY AMBER ALERT LEAVING HOME FOR COLLEGE

She made headlines when she was only two months old, becoming the first child ever recovered by Arlington's then-fledgling Amber Alert system.

Now, 18-year-old Rae-Leigh Bradbury is preparing to graduate high school and has some big plans after that.

"I don't remember any of it, but I know the story," said Bradbury, who lives with her family in Fort Worth.

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A SIX-YEAR ANALYSIS OF SEX TRAFFICKERS OF MINORS: EXPLORING CHARACTERISTICS AND SEX TRAFFICKING PATTERNS

Sex trafficking is a pervasive national problem in the United States. Media reports indicate that sex trafficking occurs in both rural and urban areas with victims who are children and adults, of any gender, race, and sexual orientation.

Learn more and review dashboard and video information about the project here.

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SENATOR JOHN McCAIN INTRODUCES BILL TO EXPAND AMBER ALERT SYSTEM ON NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS

Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) recently introduced the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2017, legislation that would expand the AMBER Alert child abduction warning system on Native American reservations by clarifying that Indian tribes are eligible for Department of Justice (DOJ) grants that help assemble AMBER Alert systems for law enforcement agencies.

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NAVAJO NATION AMBER ALERT & EMERGENCY ALERT TASK FORCE COMPLETES MILESTONE

BY NATIVE NEWS ONLINE STAFF | CURRENTS | 14 JAN 2017

WINDOW ROCK – On Jan. 9, the Navajo Nation Amber Alert and Emergency Alert Task Force under the direction of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Department of Emergency Management accomplished a huge milestone to bring the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) to the Navajo Nation.

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THE INDIAN COUNTRY CHILD TRAUMA CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AND KOGNITO LAUNCH SIMULATION TO TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT ON TRAUMA-INFORMED POLICING

ROLE-PLAY SIMULATION PREPARES TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS TO LEAD MORE EFFECTIVE REAL-LIFE INTERACTIONS WITH TRIBAL YOUTH

January 31, 2017 – The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Tribal Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center, housed at the Indian Country Child Trauma Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, and Kognito, an innovator in developing evidence-based role-play simulations, have announced the launch of an interactive role-play simulation aimed at building the capacity among law enforcement professionals to lead more effective interactions with tribal youth.

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Tucson Air Branch helps FBI with AMBER Alert

TUCSON – Two teams from the Air and Marine Operation’s Tucson Air Branch (TAB), responding to an Amber Alert released today out of Chandler, Arizona, joined with the FBI and Navajo Nation police to locate a missing girl, and detain a male suspect involved in her disappearance.

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Maci Lilley Found Alive: 4-Year Old Girl Abducted From Park Located on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana

BILLINGS – Maci Maelyn Lilley was found alive and in good health after the 4-year-old girl was reported abducted in the Wolf Point area on Friday, Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office confirmed in a news release Sunday morning.
Lee Allmer, public information officer for Roosevelt County, said Lilley was discovered at about 11:20 a.m. Sunday...

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Tribal Prosecutor Now Leading Fight to Help Recover Abducted Indian Children

Hedi Bogda has a unique, perhaps unparalleled perspective on Native American culture and law. She is a tribal prosecutor, tribal judge and an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Her background and skills are now being used to train prosecutors, judges and law enforcement officers handling child abduction cases in Indian Country.

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DOJ Press Release

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF PROGRAM TO ENHANCE TRIBAL ACCESS TO NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION DATABASES

Department of Justice Tribal Access Program Will Continue to Improve the Exchange of Critical Data

WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice is expanding the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information which provides federally-recognized tribes access to national crime information databases for both civil and criminal purposes. Tribes interested in participating in TAP must submit a letter or resolution from the tribe’s governing body by Dec. 2. TAP allows tribes to more effectively serve and protect their communities by ensuring the exchange of critical data...

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