Emma Ems
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Since we're on the topic of Amber Alerts -
Jessica Ridgeway case prompts development of app to track kids
Snip -
The application lets anyone on the parent list "escalate" the notice and rally a search party, removing any delay that could be caused while police are notified and, in some cases, while officers seek an Amber Alert. The notifications are far more local than Amber Alerts, which can cover an entire state or neighboring states and require several criteria to be met before they are issued. The escalations will alert police, as well, Ownbey said.
Research shows the first two hours after a child goes missing are the most vital, Guydon said, so the application alerts parents the moment a child goes off of a route and allows them to look into the behavior. Because the app is currently based on cell phone use, if the child stays in place for too long, as though the phone is just sitting somewhere unattended, the application will also send alerts.
"We want this to be a deterrent for kidnappers," he said.
Read more: Jessica Ridgeway case prompts development of app to track kids - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_23284554#ixzz2UVMLZd00
BBM. I just wanted to point this out, because I agree with it, but what I find most hard about this part is when you(general) allow your kid to say ride their bike around the neighborhood after school, and let's say you tell them to be home by 6 or before dark. It's usually when they don't come home when they are suppose to that you become alarmed, and start to worry. That could very well be more than a two hour time window. It makes you wonder what can we do better for our kids? You don't want to put them in a bubble, but at the same time you want them to be safe and well, learn a bit of independence and responsibility too. It's frustrating that a kid can't go play for a few hours without a parent having to worry about some weirdo snatching them up.
That's a little bit of what I am thinking in this case too. MR knew Dylan wanted to go to his friend's house that day, and if it's the norm for him to leave by himself to go do things like this, MR wouldn't have thought twice about it. Perhaps him not replying to texts was norm when he was hanging out with his friends and after so long of him not replying, that was when he started to really wonder what's up. I think my first instinct would be to either go to all my kid's friends houses or call them to see if he was there before I went to LE, you know, narrow down all the possibilities and just make sure that he isn't just wrapped up in what he is doing and not returning my texts/calls, then when I figure out that's not the case, then I would start panicking.