(Host) State officials have a new weapon in their battle to apprehend individuals who are suspected of abducting young children. Beginning this week, hundreds of Vermont lottery terminals will be added to the state’s Amber Alert notification system.
Currently, many radio and TV stations have agreed to interrupt programming when law enforcement officials send out an emergency announcement that a child has been abducted and may be in danger. Since 1996, more than 150 children have been rescued nationwide using the Amber alert system.
Under this new program, the law enforcement bulletins will also be sent to all businesses that operate a Vermont lottery terminal and the information in the alert will be displayed on the lottery’s electronic signs, which are located in most of the stores.
Vermont State Police Major Robert White thinks it’s critical to get abduction information out to the public as quickly as possible:
(White) “It’s going to be an excellent partnership in the sense of, with the 750 plus outlets and message signs that the Vermont lottery has, we’ll be reaching a whole other group of people who are not at a radio or sitting in front of their TV listening to the broadcast that would go out over the EAS system. So this is a great addition. We’ll be able to reach thousands of people every time we need to issue a Vermont Amber Alert that would not be reached immediately through the radio and TV broadcasts.”
(Host) Law enforcement officials are also working on a plan to display Amber Alert information on many of the electronic transportation signs that are used on Vermont’s Interstate highways.