Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Mark Glass, Commissioner
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Mark Glass, Commissioner
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in cooperation with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Association of Broadcasters, Inc., the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Lottery, the Florida Department of Transportation, local law enforcement agencies, and private partners, is responsible for the activation of the Florida AMBER Alert in accordance with the Florida AMBER Plan.
The Florida AMBER Plan was established in 2000, making Florida the second state in the nation to develop a statewide AMBER Alert. The purpose of the plan is to broadcast critical information regarding an abducted child as quickly as possible to the media and general public. The initial plan included use of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to notify the media and public. The plan was expanded in 2002 to include the use of road signs and lottery machines when an alert is activated. Additionally, the plan now includes the ability for members of the public to receive emails or free text messages when an AMBER Alert is activated.
The AMBER Alert was named for nine-year-old Amber Hagerman. She was abducted in 1996 while riding her bicycle outside of her grandparents’ home in Texas. She was found deceased four days later. The case is still unsolved. AMBER has since become an acronym for "America's Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response." In 2003, Congress passed the PROTECT Act to establish and support the development of AMBER plans in each state.
For more information, please visit the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse website or contact us by phone at 1-888-356-4774.
Click here to sign up to receive text or email alerts when an AMBER Alert is activated.
FDLE is composed of five areas: Executive Direction and Business Support, Criminal Investigations and Forensic Science, Criminal Justice Information, Criminal Justice Professionalism and Florida Capitol Police. FDLE’s duties, responsibilities and procedures are mandated through Chapter 943, FS, and Chapter 11, FAC. To learn more about these areas, read our Statement of Agency Organization and Operation or visit our Open Government page.
