In an effort to provide faster responses to the most serious
child abduction cases, the Minor Abducted in Life-threatening
Emergency and America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response
(MAILE AMBER) Alert plan shall be utilized in accordance with the
guidelines established in this directive.
GENERAL
This statewide plan is a cooperative effort among the four
county police departments and the state of Hawaii. It is
named in memory of six-year-old Maile Gilbert, abducted in
Kailua, Hawaii; and nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, abducted
in Arlington, Texas. The MAILE AMBER Alert plan was
developed to provide rapid responses to the most serious
child abduction cases by gaining rapid access to thousands
of broadcast listeners and viewers throughout the state.
The plan employs the community for a safe recovery of the
abducted child by facilitating the exchange of information
between the public and the police.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the MAILE AMBER Alert plan are to:
A. Locate and recover the endangered missing child and
abductor expeditiously before the child is seriously
harmed;
B. Persuade the abductor to release the child; and
C. Deter potential abductions.
CRITERIA FOR ACTIVATION
A. The child shall be 17 years of age or younger.
NONACTIVATION
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The following are general responsibilities of elements
that may be directly involved in the activation of the
MAILE AMBER Alert plan:
A. Patrol Districts
1. The assigned patrol officer shall determine if a
child has been abducted, preserve the scene, and
immediately notify his or her field supervisor.
2. The field supervisor or designee shall then
notify the on-duty Criminal Investigation
Division (CID) lieutenant with the facts of the
case. (See the attachment for the telephone
numbers.)
B. CID
1. Upon determining that a MAILE AMBER Alert
situation may exist, the on-duty CID lieutenant
or designee shall immediately notify the
Homicide Detail lieutenant or designee.
2. The Homicide Detail lieutenant or designee shall
determine whether or not to activate the MAILE
AMBER Alert plan.
3. If the MAILE AMBER Alert plan is activated, the
Homicide Detail lieutenant or designee shall
notify the on-duty CID lieutenant or designee.
4. The on-duty CID lieutenant or designee shall:
a. Notify the Communications Division to
prepare the Emergency Alert System (EAS)
for a broadcast;
b. Notify the Media Liaison Office of the
activation;
c. Assign at least one CID detective to
respond to the scene;
d. Clearly complete the MAILE AMBER Alert
message, HPD-276C form, and the Department
of Transportation H-3 Tunnel Notification
form and send or deliver the forms
immediately to the Communications Division;
e. Set up the MAILE AMBER Alert tip hotline
telephone in the CID conference room and
assign personnel to receive, document, and
disseminate incoming information; and
5. The Homicide Detail lieutenant or designee shall
organize the search and determine the number of
personnel to be assigned to the investigation to
cover a 24-hour, 7-day plan, if necessary.
C. Communications Division
1. The Communications Division shall maintain the
EAS control box that is located in the division.
2. Designated personnel shall be trained to use the
EAS and operate the system during a MAILE AMBER
Alert.
3. Designated personnel shall broadcast the MAILE
AMBER Alert message from the HPD-276C form
provided by the CID.
4. The Communications Division supervisor or
designee shall to activate the
electronic highway signs.
5. Designated personnel shall enter the abducted
child’s information into the Juvenile Justice
Information System/National Crime Information
Center (JJIS/NCIC) system and remove it upon
recovery.
D. Media Liaison Office
When the alert plan is activated, the Media Liaison
Office shall report the child abduction to the
Missing Child Center Hawaii and assist the CID in the
release of information to the public.
MAILE AMBER ALERT HOTLINE
When the MAILE AMBER Alert plan is activated, a MAILE
AMBER Alert hotline in the CID’s conference room shall be
made operational primarily to receive information from the
public. (See the attachment for the telephone numbers.)
DEACTIVATION
A. The Homicide Detail lieutenant or designee shall be
responsible for deactivating the MAILE AMBER Alert plan
and notifying the on-duty CID lieutenant or designee of
the deactivation.
B. The on-duty CID lieutenant or designee shall notify the
Communications Division and the Media Liaison Office of
the deactivation.
C. The Communications Division supervisor or designee
shall notify
MAILE AMBER ALERT REVIEW BOARD (MAARB)
A. A MAARB shall be established to evaluate the
effectiveness of activations and recommend
improvements. Additionally, a meeting shall be
convened seven working days after an event or as soon
as practicable. The assistant chief of the
Investigative Bureau shall chair the MAARB.
B. The MAARB shall consist of the following members or
designees:
1. Assistant chief, Investigative Bureau;
2. Assistant chiefs, Central and Regional Patrol
Bureaus;
3. Assistant chief, Support Services Bureau;
4. Major, CID;
5. Major, Communications Division;
6. Major(s) from involved patrol district(s);
7. Lieutenant, Homicide Detail, CID;
8. A Media Liaison Office representative; and
9. A supervising police radio dispatcher,
Communications Division.
C. A report of the MAARB’s findings shall be forwarded
to the Chief of Police.