Officials say two abducted Wisconsin boys were found safe after an AMBER alert sparked widespread public search efforts.
"We appreciate the support of every citizen who vigilantly joined the search for Alex and Stefan," said Mikol Skaggs, a Deputy Sheriff who helped coordinate AMBER alert search efforts across Iowa and Wisconsin.
Hundreds of community watch members helped successfully find the subjects of the AMBER alert using US.Watch, a web-based platform developed by law enforcement to coordinate the public search for abducted kids.
Members of US.Watch receive enhanced local AMBER alerts that include a video brief, an individually-assigned watch zone, and a link to join the search on the US.Watch platform.
From there, users can navigate to their designated areas, connect with law enforcement, collaborate with other citizen searchers, and even win rewards for helping—all while tuning in to a live broadcast to stay up to date with the latest alert information, including search instructions, the current top searchers, and the most interesting user messages from the group chat.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PL477DN55BHONIXAD3HSRSOSXA.JPG)
The platform’s smart zone assignment algorithm leverages nearly two decades of AMBER alert data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to target citizen search efforts to locations where abducted children are most likely to be found.
Users who navigate to their assigned watch zones can win rewards, such as a $100 gift card.
US.Watch was coded to honor the memory of Hailey Owens, whose life could have been saved by a more timely and effective AMBER alert system in 2014.
After her death, Hailey's friends, family, and law enforcement officials advocated for the passage of HAILEY'S Law, which was signed by Missouri Governor Mike Parson in 2019.
The law streamlines the process for issuing AMBER alerts and empowers law enforcement officers to include a link to resources like US.Watch with each alert.
To receive enhanced AMBER alerts, assist in local search efforts, and win rewards, sign up at https://US.Watch, or join by texting or calling (803) US-Watch