Local law enforcement weigh in on Facebook amber alerts
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JACKSON, Tenn. — As of Tuesday social media can play a role in finding missing children. Facebook announced it will begin sending amber alerts to its 180 million users to help find missing children. The alerts will include photos and other details about the missing child. It is a joint effort with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Local law enforcement weigh in on the impact this new feature on Facebook could have on their cases. “The more information we can get out there on the Amber Alert, the better chance we have of finding the person because you’ve got just a few hours,” Lieutenant Mike Johnson with the Jackson Police Department said. Retired Jackson Police Captain Jerry Priddy wishes this kind of technology was available 14 years ago when Bethany Markowski disappeared. She was last seen alive around the Old Hickory Mall in 2001. “How long it took for us to be notified that she was missing and get started on the investigation,” Priddy said. Bethany’s case is still open. “You would’ve had so many people in the mall as it was all you had was the mall security and Mr. Markowski at first and then Jackson Police officers checking around.” Priddy believes if her picture could have been spread across a medium like Facebook, they would have had more luck in the search. “Back when that came in of course there was no social media to get it out we couldn’t get it out to the news media until the next day,” said Priddy. Lieutenant Johnson agrees. “Naturally the more information you can get it out to millions of people the better chance you have of recovering that person.” Both Johnson and Priddy said they do not see any downfalls to this new tool. Facebook has already proven helpful in finding missing children. The social networking site said the new system is expected to have a major impact in rural regions.
