Facebook and the South African Police Service (SAPS) have launched a child abduction alert known as Amber Alert in South Africa.
The Amber Alert function has already been launched in 23 countries and has been wildly successful in the US, UK, France and Canada. South Africa will be the first African country to have the function.
South Africa has been victim to child abductions and human trafficking in recent times. Facebook posts saying “please share to find this person” have become a norm.
HOW ITS GOING TO WORK
1. Partnership: Facebook will work closely with the SAPS.
2. Missing Child Reported: Alerts are activated in missing person cases to galvanise the community in searching for missing person.
3. Amber Alert Issued: Alerts are activated in most serious cases when law enforcement has critical details to share with the public. The call to action will galvanise community to assist in searching for missing person.
4. Facebook’s Role: if alert is activated by law enforcement and you are in the designated search area, the alert will appear in your newsfeed.
Alerts are shown to people who are more likely to help because they use your phone’s location. When people see the alert on Facebook , they can click it to learn more and stay vigilant. All users within 160km from where the child is missing will see the Amber Alert on their timelines.
“We want the public to see it as an opportunity, they are in a position to help a missing child and they have the opportunity to do so, all they have to do is read the alert, and remain aware of their surroundings.” Said the Emily Vacher, Facebook’s director of trust and safety
Meanwhile, National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole, urged members of the community to immediately report missing children to the police.
“The SAPS cannot direct anyone away, there is no waiting period to report a missing child,” he said.
