The Dover, NH Police Department is making a device available to the public which may help to quickly find missing children and other people at risk.
If a family member has an AMBERstick, a portable flash USB storage device that contains all of that information, police can get to work almost immediately. The device is small enough to carry on a key chain.
"The first two hours are the most important time in a stranger abduction," said Dover Police Capt. Bill Simons. "If the unlikely was to happen we could actually upload this information to the Amber Alert system and it would be available instantly."
AMBERsticks, about the size of a person's thumb, are self-contained flash USB drives with software that stores information like a person's name, personal descriptors, medical information, contact numbers, and most importantly, a picture. With that information, a "Missing Person" flyer can be made instantly and broadcast nationwide.
The devices are now available for purchase at the Dover police station for $16 a piece, about half the cost to purchase them from the manufacturer. Parents keep the AMBERstick in their possession in case of emergency.
"As parents and police officers, we are always looking for effective ways to protect our kids," said Police Chief Anthony Colarusso. "With the AMBERstick, a parent can feel confident knowing that if the unthinkable happens, they have the vital information needed by police at their fingertips."
AMBERsticks are related to the U.S. Department of Justice's Amber Alert system, an emergency response program that coordinates nationwide broadcasts and information sharing when a child is abducted. The program began in the memory of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped in 1996 while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and found dead four days later.
Though stranger abductions are people's biggest fear, Simons said the AMBERstick is useful for a variety of situations where information is needed quickly. Ample storage allows a parent to include information for every child, and teachers on a class trip can store information for each student.
"They're a great tool because even if you have a simple runaway or an adult with Alzheimer's we need a variety of information — a photo, description, contact numbers. If a person happened to have this in their pocketbook or car, they could plug it into a police department computer and we'd have everything," Simons said.
Dover Police Charities, Inc. purchased the AMBERsticks as part of the department's overall crime prevention program. They are available at the police station during business hours.
Fosters Daily Democrat
Posted by: Tango
First I've heard of these...great idea
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