As the coordinator of the state’s AMBER Alert program, Smitherman said social media and other advancements in technology have vastly increased the number of resolved missing child cases, as well as the speed in which they are found. When a child is missing, those seconds matter.
“It’s sad, but true. The longer it takes for a case to be resolved, or a child to be found, your chances increase that they may be found deceased or harmed,” Smitherman said. “So, with technology, we’re able to push it out and get them back immediately.”