FAIRMONT — An Amber Alert did not play a big part in the recovery of a girl who was kidnapped in Wheeling earlier this week, but the incident was not lost on a group of law enforcement officials who gathered Friday to learn how to take the program one step further.
“I don’t know if this would have helped, but things like this do happen here,” said Sgt. Matt Moore of the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, where the incident took place.
The girl was assaulted and then released in nearby Ohio by her abductor after 45 minutes, another atypical occurrence. In 74 percent of all kidnappings, the children are dead within three hours, noted Becky Robey.
Robey serves as project associate on AmberView, an initiative of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation. AmberView will add in a three-dimensional photograph upon the issuance of an Amber Alert, a notification system that — as of now — uses merely text sent by the National Weather Service to law enforcement officials and the media to alert them to a child’s disappearance.
On Friday, Robey, AmberView project manager Bob Chico, and law enforcement officials from eight departments around the state met at the I-79 Technology Park Research Center (the former Institute of Scientific Research building) to begin training for the six- to eight-week pilot program in which the officers will receive random fake AmberView alerts. U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., who helped secure funds for the $4 million project, stopped by and greeted the officers at lunchtime.
“This is a test,” Chico said. “We want to know, does it get to them and how would they react?”
Robey estimated that 40 percent to 50 percent of the state’s 275,000 schoolchildren will be participating in the program, which takes their school pictures and stores them into a database. The photographs then can be made into a 3-D image and issued as an AmberView alert.
“We haven’t received them from every school yet, but we’re getting forms daily,” she said.
Of the state’s 55 counties, only Mercer County did not agree to participate in the program. Of participating counties and of the state’s 33 Catholic schools, the photos of students who return signed permission slips will be used. The plan is for the system eventually to go nationwide.
Friday’s session served as training time so the officers could familiarize themselves with the cell phones and personal digital assistants that will be used to receive the visual AmberView alerts when they are working out in the field.
“When you get an Amber Alert now, unless you happen to be close to the Internet or be listening to the radio, you can’t get it,” said Patrolman Glen Stealey of the Fairmont City Police Department, who also serves as computer network administrator.
The idea of getting a fake AmberView alert as part of the training did not bother him.
“We’re used to getting alarm calls all the time that aren’t real,” he said. “Otherwise, you can’t test the system.”
This testing session essentially will allow AmberView staff and law enforcement officials to find out if the images sent into the field are received and readable. By late summer, Robey expects to be testing the portion of AmberView that will allow officers to take a photograph of a child who has been found to tell by a high degree whether or not the image matches up with the photo in the database.
“The Amber Alert was great, but with AmberView, when you can get images of a child who’s lost or has been abducted, that’s going to help us immensely because of the changes the children go through over a period of time,” said Chief Deputy Al Kisner of the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department. “At different intervals of their school, they’ll update their pictures, which will make it great for us.”
E-mail Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.
In Today's TWV
Related Photos
-
PHOTO BY DANNY SNYDER
February 24, 2007
One big step further
AmberView testing involves 54 state counties
- In Today's TWV
-
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
Osama bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a firefight with elite American forces Monday, then quickly buried at sea in a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run.
-
Construction around FSU
Construction matters were on the minds of the Fairmont State Board of Governors Thursday as they discussed projects to widen Locust Avenue and the continuing renovation of the historic Kennedy Barn.
First, a project to widen Locust Avenue to three lanes has been a priority for the state for several years. -
Goal: Redevelop site of former black Elks
City officials are hoping to solicit a buyer to redevelop the former site of the former black Elks building at the corner of Everest Drive and Cleveland Avenue.
Following the structure’s emergency demolition last weekend, city manager Jim Snider said the city is hoping someone will come forward to develop the site and recoup the city’s $72,000 demolition cost. -
Investigation continues into suspicious container, plastic jug that were blown up
Fairmont police detectives will continue their investigation into a suspicious can and jug that were blown up late Friday night by a State Police bomb squad, police said.
No one was injured, but the incident forced drivers to detour around Fairmont Avenue from Seventh to 10th streets while the area was secured and the containers were safely destroyed. -
Years of planning, work lead to new Baxter fire hall
In 1968, the Baxter Volunteer Fire Department opened its doors for the first time.
The department had its humble beginnings in a small pole building near the ball field. Over the years, the firefighters made do with the small building, adding on as they could, according to Destry Jones, Baxter fire chief. -
AmberView participation rising
Fairview Middle School has a higher percentage of students enrolled in AmberView than any other school in the state, officials said Friday.
AmberView is an innovative program, developed in West Virginia, that assists law enforcement by quickly issuing an up-to-date digital picture of a missing or abducted child. AmberView officials have seen participation rise dramatically in the last year. -
Police investigate, detonate suspected bomb
West Side’s main thoroughfare was blocked for hours while police investigated and then detonated a suspected bomb Friday night.
Fairmont City Police responded to a report of a suspicious package Friday after a 911 call from a passerby. -
Student housing at FSU booming
While enrollment may be down at Fairmont State this year, student housing is booming.
The university’s board of governors received preliminary enrollment numbers at its meeting Thursday. -
Jay to speak at convention
U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, an early supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, will be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month, a campaign aide said.
Rockefeller, 71, who is seeking a fifth-straight term in the Senate, will speak on Wednesday, Aug. 27, said Jessica Tice, his campaign press secretary. -
A strong ‘heartbeat’
“The chamber is the heartbeat of every community,” Gov. Joe Manchin told a crowd of approximately 375 people during the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 55th Annual Dinner.
Members of the business community gathered at Fairmont State University’s Falcon Center Thursday night for the event, which also serves as the chamber’s annual meeting. - More In Today's TWV Headlines
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
