How Amber Alerts work — and how they don't — in Tennessee

Kirsten Fiscus and Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

Every month in Tennessee, between 400 and 600 children are reported missing, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The majority of those are considered runaways or parental abductions with no suspected threat of danger to the child. In the most threatening of cases, an Amber Alert is issued. Tennessee averages between eight and nine Amber Alerts a year.

TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine said the agency often receives criticism for not triggering a statewide alert every time a child goes missing. But the process of elevating a case to an Endangered Child Alert or Amber Alert is detailed and careful, he said.

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“It’s also important to know that TBI is not aware of every missing child in the state of Tennessee," DeVine said. "We can only make decisions based on information provided to us by a local law enforcement agency.”

Here's a look at the different kinds of missing child alerts in Tennessee and what it takes to trigger one.

Amber Alert

TBI reserves Amber Alerts for the most serious of cases where a child is in imminent danger. It is also the only agency in the state authorized to release an Amber Alert.

To issue an Amber Alert, the following criteria must be met:

  • The child is 17 years of age or younger

  • The child is in imminent danger of bodily injury or death

  • There is a description of the child, the abductor or a vehicle

  • If it's an out-of-state request, there must be a direct and identifiable connection with the state of Tennessee

When issuing an Amber Alert, TBI will notify news media across the state, the National Weather Service and Tennessee Department of Transportation. It will also use the agency's social media platforms to broadcast information.

The TBI will also notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to activate cellphone network alerts, electronic billboards and other notification systems.

Endangered Child Alert

For cases that don't rise to the level of an Amber Alert but involve concern for a child's welfare, TBI can issue an Endangered Child Alert. These cases may involve factors like interference by a noncustodial parent or a missing child who does not have access to needed medications, DeVine said.

When issuing the alert, TBI will notify news media in the region where the child is missing from and release any relevant information. TBI also uses social media channels to broadcast information about the child, abductor or a vehicle description.

Missing Children List

TBI maintains a list of children age 17 and younger reported to the agency as missing. These cases don't rise to the criteria for an ECA or Amber Alert.

Some of the children included on the missing list are those who are missing as a result of parental abduction or are thought to be runaways.

The list is not an exhaustive list of all children reported missing in Tennessee, DeVine said. Instead, it includes cases where a parent, guardian or local law enforcement requested the child be included on TBI's list, or those cases that could benefit from additional publicity.

The agency also maintains a list of missing children who were 17 or younger at the time of their disappearance but would now be older than 18.

Contact Tennessean reporter Kirsten Fiscus at 615-259-8229 or KFiscus@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KDFiscus.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Missing kids in Tennessee: How Amber, endangered child alerts work