OPP partners with OnStar to broadcast AMBER Alerts

May 30, 2013 · 0 Comments

The Provincial AMBER Alert program, led by the OPP is adding another partner to our list to help quickly locate missing or abducted children in Ontario. The OPP has an arrangement with OnStar, one of the world’s leading in-vehicle safety and security services to help police quickly locate a missing child.

The Ontario AMBER Alert Program notifies the public by using a network of partner-agencies to spread the word whenever there is a report of an abducted child anywhere in Ontario who may be in danger. During an AMBER Alert it is vital to the investigation that critical information about the missing child be relayed to the public as quickly as possible. In 2012, five AMBER Alerts were issued in Ontario that resulted in eight safely recovered children.

Now when an AMBER Alert is issued, OnStar will be able to share the alert information with the company’s more than 430,000 Canadian subscribers. OnStar will integrate Ontario AMBER Alert data into its call center’s geographical mapping system, and subscribers will be informed of the Alert when they contact OnStar for other services.

The announcement this week coincides with National Missing Children’s Day which will be on Saturday, May 25. This year’s theme is “Help Us Bring Them Home” and will focus on ‘stranger abductions’. It takes the diligence of many partners and the public everywhere to keep our children safe.

“The more partnerships and investigative tools available, the greater chance we have to save the precious life of a child in Ontario. Swift, coordinated action and widespread communication is vital to the success of this very important program,” OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis

“As a company, it is extremely important for OnStar to support the AMBER Alert program and our technology can play a valuable role,” said Kevin Williams, President and Managing Director, General Motors of Canada. “Not only can motorists get information on AMBER Alerts in their area, but they can be directly connected by an OnStar Advisor to local authorities to submit tips and information.”