Q&A: Why hasn’t there been an Amber Alert for Sharon West?

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Q&A: Why hasn’t there been an Amber Alert for Sharon West?

August 18, 2011 at 4:16 pm by Julie Garcia

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has received several requests for the criteria of an Amber Alert since one was posted earlier today about a missing teen from League City.
The big question is why hasn’t one been issued for Sharon West, the missing 14-year-old from Fannett? West has been missing since July 30.
According to Deputy Rod Carroll, each state has its own criteria for issuing Amber Alerts. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued minimum standards or guidelines for Amber Alerts that states can adopt voluntary.
Those guidelines are:

Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place.
The child is at risk of serious injury or death
There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor or captor’s vehicle
The child must be 17 years old or younger

It is recommended that immediate entry of Amber Alert data be entered in FBI’s National Crime Information Center. Text information describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the child should be entered and the case flagged as a child abduction.

Posted in General | 8 Comments

1. A lot has been kept from the public by law enforcement and probably the media since this girl went missing. I understand that with the possibility of a crime taking place. There is no indication from the media or law enforcement that this has been the case. Regardless of the circumstances, it would seem the police and the family would like this resolved. I think this newspaper has gotten to the point where it does every thing that the police tells them to do. This is not serving the public. And, regardless of what the police might tell the paper or the family, it does not help resolve her disappearance nor does it find this young woman. I wish the Enterprise and the sheriff’s department would quit jacking the public, and by extension, the family of this young lady, around.
   
   Comment by lsmft — August 18th, 2011 @ 9:37 pm
2. lsmft, ” I understand that with the possibility of a crime taking place. There is no indication from the media or law enforcement that this has been the case.”
   It is nonchalant attitudes like yours toward situations like these that hurt the victims. No crime has been taken place. She’s a runaway. Then they’re found along a ditch somewhere. Time is crucial in these cases. A friend of hers text me the morning she went missing. NOBODY EVER thought she was a runaway.
   
   Comment by Nightcrawler — August 19th, 2011 @ 6:46 am
3. I think anytime a 14 year old child is missing they are endangered .
   Sadly law enforcement doesn’t see this the same as we do. They spend money to search by ground and air , yet won’t take a few minutes to issue an amber alert around here. I guess you have to have a picture of the kid being taken for them to do that.
   
   Comment by cookie9503 — August 19th, 2011 @ 7:28 am
4. hasn’t this young lady “disappeared ” before ?
   
   Comment by Bill E. — August 19th, 2011 @ 7:52 am
5. “Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place” in order to issue an AMBER alert. unless they can satisfy this requirement they can’t issue an AMBER alert. the media outlets could share and rebroadcast any information they choose to though.
   
   Comment by just saying — August 19th, 2011 @ 10:16 am
6. I hate to admit but the law is the law and unless they have proof that a crime has been commited their hands are tied! They dont always put everything in the news and paper so that people aren’t getting in the way. I feel sorry for the family’s that have missing children or abused children. Children are a gift from GOD and he should be the only person taken them from the face of this crazy place. People need to get a grip on life and before judging other people start looking into their own lives and make sure things are what they need to be, people dont take the time to care anymore. show your kids and family you love them, you never know when they arent goin to be around anymore.
   
   Comment by LESA — August 19th, 2011 @ 1:05 pm
7. For the Amber Alert there needs to be evidence (not proof) of an abduction and there has to be information that can be put out to the public that would help locate the child. An example is one from a couple of days ago of a 14 year old from League City where they knew who the suspect was (boyfriend maybe?) and a vehicle.
   If every time a child was missing from home an Amber Alert was broadcast, it would be as common as car alarms in parking lots. No one would pay attention. Between Port Arthur and Beaumont PD’s alone they are probably holding dozens of runaways at any given time. Do we really want dozens of Amber Alerts and when would we simply quit paying attention to them?
   The Amber Alert system was put in place for the public to assist in an abduction case where there is timely information on a suspect, vehicle, etc. It gets a lot more eyes out there to find a child in a short time “IF” that information is known.
   I have no clue what information was known to the Jefferson County Sheriff Department in this particular case but if they don’t have any information to show an abduction or any information on what the public should look for, they can’t put out the alert.
   
   Comment by SWMP — August 19th, 2011 @ 3:55 pm
8. Because as the article says, this doesn’t meet the criteria… How about being proactive & not letting your 15 year-old wander the streets at 2-5 am? If I was ‘caring’ for this child, then she wouldn’t of been out or she would of been on the way back home…
   
   Comment by Nancy — September 2nd, 2011 @ 3:02 am

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