PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia State Police issued an Amber Alert just before 2 a.m. on Aug. 15 at the request of the Virginia Beach Police Department, but even though it was a statewide alert, 10 On Your Side has confirmed some people did not receive it.
WAVY reached out to Virginia State Police to find out why.
The Amber Alert was issued for three children, all under the age of 7, after police say they were abducted by 36-year-old Dana Plummer. Plummer is also accused of stabbing his 12-year-old step-daughter and her mother in Virginia Beach before taking off with the three younger children. The Amber Alert was canceled after a crash in Maryland that sent the suspect and the three children to the hospital. A 16-month-old girl, one of the three abducted children, died.
Many people who typically receive Amber Alerts said they never received this one.
10 On Your Side created an online interactive poll asking viewers to weigh in if they received an alert or not. Thousands participated in the poll, with the majority saying they did not get alerted.
Virginia State Police told 10 On Your Side there were “some technical issues.” They also said the alert is up to the individual wireless carriers and that Virginia State Police “has no control over when/how they push out the alert.”
According to State Police, the issues stemmed from the Everbridge software and the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) platform used to issue the alerts.
For those who did receive the Amber Alert, the information appeared incomplete and the alert did not click through to more information, as seen in the screenshot below.
“State Police has been in contact with FEMA, who operates and controls IPAWS, regarding some of the incomplete messaging, and we anticipate a quick and thorough resolution,” Virginia State Police spokesperson Matthew Demlein told WAVY.
Who Gets Amber Alerts?
Amber Alerts are sent to cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) program. Active alerts should appear automatically on your phone.
Amber Alerts are also disseminated by other means: on VDOT highway signs, at hotel chains, internet service providers, apps and other technology. They also are broadcast on radio and television stations, including WAVY TV.
You have the option to turn off government alerts, including Amber Alerts.
iPhone users: Go to Settings -> Notifications and then scroll all the way to the bottom. You can toggle the alerts on or off.
Android users: Settings -> Safety & Emergency -> Wireless emergency alerts
Some carriers will also allow you to shut off or turn on alerts for dialing a number. Check with your individual carrier, but here are a couple examples: T-Mobile | Verizon.
When is an Amber Alert issued?
Virginia law enforcement will issue an Amber Alert to notify the public about missing children (17 or younger) believed to be abducted and in imminent danger. It is only used in the most serious cases and will only be activated if certain criteria are met.
State Police explained why the Amber Alert Thursday was issued just before 2 a.m., when the abduction occurred before 9 p.m. It has to do with making sure the requesting agency, in this case Virginia Beach, has fulfilled the required criteria.
This includes verifying all biographical information, vehicle information, and obtaining the necessary photographs from the requesting agency. Once this is completed, the AMBER Alert is issued, which triggers a series of activations and alerts (https://vsp.virginia.gov/active-alerts/amber-alert/).
Virginia State Police
An Amber Alert can be issued across state lines if an abductor takes the child outside the jurisdiction of the issuing law enforcement agency. This is referred to as a Multi-state Amber Alert activation.
