Kathy Egan news@greenepublishing.com Amber Alerts work. On Aug. 3, 2025, a child was saved from an alleged kidnapper near the intersection of Flat Creek Rd. and Bonnie Hill Rd. in Gadsden County. The U.S. Office of Justice Programs Amber Alert website, amberalert.ojp.gov, reports that as of Dec. 31, 2024, there were 1,268 children rescued as a result of the Amber Alert system. Just recently, according to a news release from Florida's Liberty County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), on the afternoon of Aug. 3, 2025, a vigilant citizen saw a silver Ford F-150, which was the type announced in an Amber Alert – a widespread announcement about a missing or abducted child who is in danger – that was issued in Bibb County, Ga. The person not only called 911, but also “provided real-time updates that enabled deputies to quickly locate” the truck. In this case, the child was a helpless infant; a regular citizen who was paying attention helped bring the baby home. Similar stories have happened over 1,268 times in beach towns, urban areas, farming communities, big cities, and rural areas like Gadsden County (amberlaert.ojp.gov). About five years ago, a five year-old Madison County girl disappeared from her mom's motel room; again, she was discovered and saved from danger as a result of someone paying attention to an Amber Alert. Children can be in danger anywhere and at any time. They need our help. Are you paying attention? Most of us are accustomed to having our phones blare out all types of warnings nowadays. Weather alarms warn us that hurricanes might be on the way, automated systems tell us about sales at our favorite stores, and now that Amber Alerts have existed for almost thirty years, we get them in shockingly high numbers. Do you pay attention to them? Paying attention and being diligent could save a young life.
