Saskatchewan AMBER Alert Logos
What is an AMBER Alert?
An AMBER Alert is only issued by law enforcement in serious abduction cases. In Canada, AMBER Alert programs are provincially managed.
The Saskatchewan AMBER Alert system is a voluntary partnership between Saskatchewan law enforcement agencies, news agencies and the public that establishes a protocol to activate an urgent public appeal for information in the most serious abduction cases. The program gives the public up-to-date information about an AMBER Alert by using province-wide broadcasts to solicit the public's help in having the abducted individual returned home safely.
An AMBER Alert is only issued by law enforcement in serious abduction cases. In Canada, AMBER Alert programs are provincially managed.
The Saskatchewan AMBER Alert system is a voluntary partnership between Saskatchewan law enforcement agencies, news agencies and the public that establishes a protocol to activate an urgent public appeal for information in the most serious abduction cases. The program gives the public up-to-date information about an AMBER Alert by using province-wide broadcasts to solicit the public's help in having the abducted individual returned home safely.
What are the criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert in Saskatchewan?
An Amber Alert may be initiated by the police service of jurisdiction when they are investigating an abduction. In order to ensure maximum effectiveness of emergency alerting and the AMBER Alert program, all of the below criteria must be met prior to police initiating an AMBER Alert response:
· The missing person is under 18 years of age or an individual living with a significant cognitive, physical or intellectual disability.
· An investigation has confirmed either abduction by a stranger or abduction (parental or non-parental) where circumstances lead police to believe that an abducted person is in danger of bodily harm or death.
· There is enough descriptive information about the abducted person, the abductor or suspect vehicle to ensure the public can identify these elements.
· The alert can be issued in a time frame that would provide a reasonable expectation that the abducted person could be returned or the abductor could be apprehended.
If all of the above criteria are not met, an AMBER Alert will not be activated.
How the program works
AMBER Alerts are activated by the Saskatchewan police service investigating the abduction. Information will be shared by the police with the public through various communication media including, but not limited to: SaskAlert, news agencies, social media and websites.
The investigating police agency will issue AMBER Alert updates when new information becomes available. The AMBER Alert will remain active until it is cancelled by the investigating police service, either when the subject of the investigation is located or when the Alert is considered no longer effective and is expired by the police service conducting the investigation.
AMBER Alert cancelation information will be shared by the police with the public through various communication media including, but not limited to: SaskAlert, news agencies, social media and websites.
How the public can help
If you hear an AMBER Alert:
Are AMBER Alerts issued for all missing children?
AMBER Alerts are issued in the most serious abduction cases when an investigation meets the provincial AMBER Alert criteria. Issuing an AMBER Alert is only one tool law enforcement uses to help locate an abducted person.
What should I do if my child goes missing?
If your child goes missing, call 911 immediately. Do not wait to report someone missing.
You will be asked to provide as much detail about the situation and circumstances as possible. Police will ask for the following about the child:
Can AMBER Alerts cross provincial and jurisdiction lines?
Yes. One of the considerations investigators have is determining where an abductor may be traveling. Saskatchewan has a vast network of highways and rural roads. This is one of the reasons AMBER Alerts are issued province-wide here.
An abductor may take the victim outside of Saskatchewan. When this is believed to have occurred, the investigating law enforcement agency will liaise with partners or police in the applicable jurisdiction and a request can be made to extend the AMBER Alert to a new area.
Why does my mobile phone sound when an AMBER Alert is issued in Saskatchewan?
An emergency alert is one way law enforcement notifies the public about an active AMBER Alert. AMBER Alerts are issued in the most critical, time-sensitive abduction situations.
The Canadian National Public Alerting System is a Federal, Provincial, and Territorial system that provides emergency management organizations throughout Canada with the capability to warn the public about imminent or unfolding hazards. To find out more about this system, visit their website.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is the Treasury Board Crown Agency responsible for Saskatchewan’s emergency management in our province. The SPSA owns and operates SaskAlert, Saskatchewan's emergency alerting program that provides critical information on emergencies in real time to the public.
Law enforcement agencies can issue AMBER Alerts to the public through the SaskAlert app and telecommunications providers. AMBER Alerts immediately interrupt radio and television broadcasting and are sent to wireless devices, such as mobile phones.
Where can I find more information about AMBER Alert activations in Canada?
Fact sheets are located on Canada’s Missing website: https://www.canadasmissing.ca/pubs/index-eng.htm.
An Amber Alert may be initiated by the police service of jurisdiction when they are investigating an abduction. In order to ensure maximum effectiveness of emergency alerting and the AMBER Alert program, all of the below criteria must be met prior to police initiating an AMBER Alert response:
· The missing person is under 18 years of age or an individual living with a significant cognitive, physical or intellectual disability.
· An investigation has confirmed either abduction by a stranger or abduction (parental or non-parental) where circumstances lead police to believe that an abducted person is in danger of bodily harm or death.
· There is enough descriptive information about the abducted person, the abductor or suspect vehicle to ensure the public can identify these elements.
· The alert can be issued in a time frame that would provide a reasonable expectation that the abducted person could be returned or the abductor could be apprehended.
If all of the above criteria are not met, an AMBER Alert will not be activated.
How the program works
AMBER Alerts are activated by the Saskatchewan police service investigating the abduction. Information will be shared by the police with the public through various communication media including, but not limited to: SaskAlert, news agencies, social media and websites.
The investigating police agency will issue AMBER Alert updates when new information becomes available. The AMBER Alert will remain active until it is cancelled by the investigating police service, either when the subject of the investigation is located or when the Alert is considered no longer effective and is expired by the police service conducting the investigation.
AMBER Alert cancelation information will be shared by the police with the public through various communication media including, but not limited to: SaskAlert, news agencies, social media and websites.
How the public can help
If you hear an AMBER Alert:
- Watch for the child, person, suspect and / or the vehicle described in the alert.
- This includes information on the location of the abduction and a description of the victim, suspect and/or any vehicle involved.
- Immediately report any findings by calling 9-1-1 or the phone number included in the alert. Do not call 9-1-1 to request information about the abduction.
Are AMBER Alerts issued for all missing children?
AMBER Alerts are issued in the most serious abduction cases when an investigation meets the provincial AMBER Alert criteria. Issuing an AMBER Alert is only one tool law enforcement uses to help locate an abducted person.
What should I do if my child goes missing?
If your child goes missing, call 911 immediately. Do not wait to report someone missing.
You will be asked to provide as much detail about the situation and circumstances as possible. Police will ask for the following about the child:
- their name and age
- their physical description, including:
- hair and eye colour
- height
- weight
- distinguishing marks or features
- what they were last seen wearing
- when and where they were last seen
- a recent photograph
Can AMBER Alerts cross provincial and jurisdiction lines?
Yes. One of the considerations investigators have is determining where an abductor may be traveling. Saskatchewan has a vast network of highways and rural roads. This is one of the reasons AMBER Alerts are issued province-wide here.
An abductor may take the victim outside of Saskatchewan. When this is believed to have occurred, the investigating law enforcement agency will liaise with partners or police in the applicable jurisdiction and a request can be made to extend the AMBER Alert to a new area.
Why does my mobile phone sound when an AMBER Alert is issued in Saskatchewan?
An emergency alert is one way law enforcement notifies the public about an active AMBER Alert. AMBER Alerts are issued in the most critical, time-sensitive abduction situations.
The Canadian National Public Alerting System is a Federal, Provincial, and Territorial system that provides emergency management organizations throughout Canada with the capability to warn the public about imminent or unfolding hazards. To find out more about this system, visit their website.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is the Treasury Board Crown Agency responsible for Saskatchewan’s emergency management in our province. The SPSA owns and operates SaskAlert, Saskatchewan's emergency alerting program that provides critical information on emergencies in real time to the public.
Law enforcement agencies can issue AMBER Alerts to the public through the SaskAlert app and telecommunications providers. AMBER Alerts immediately interrupt radio and television broadcasting and are sent to wireless devices, such as mobile phones.
Where can I find more information about AMBER Alert activations in Canada?
Fact sheets are located on Canada’s Missing website: https://www.canadasmissing.ca/pubs/index-eng.htm.
Why is it called an AMBER Alert?
In 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas. This tragic event prompted the creation of the AMBER Alert program, which is now adopted in Canada. The acronym is also referred to as America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
In 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas. This tragic event prompted the creation of the AMBER Alert program, which is now adopted in Canada. The acronym is also referred to as America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
