Post by rainman on Nov 26, 2008 10:00:03 GMT -5
Mary Lou Retton adds voice to AmberView
By Paul Fallon
Times West Virginian
— Mary Lou Retton added her voice to the many in law enforcement, academia and beyond who have supported the AmberView program.
Retton participated in the filming of a public-service announcement at White Hall Elementary School Tuesday morning.
Retton said that although she was adding her voice as a celebrity to help promote the program, she was supporting AmberView because she is the mother of four children. She added that she was happy to do anything she could to assist law enforcement to return abducted or missing children to their home.
“It’s every parent’s nightmare to have a child missing or be abducted,” Retton said during a break in the filming of the commercial.
AmberView is a program where an abducted or missing child’s picture is mass broadcast to law enforcement, the news media and many others minutes after the alert is given. The child’s picture is also broadcast with a description of a child.
The child’s picture is supplied every year with the parent’s consent. The picture is then put into a secure database accessible to the West Virginia State Police Amber Alert coordinator, said Robert Chico, program manager for AmberView.
AmberView was a program that was piloted in West Virginia, Chico said. He added that Marion County was one of three counties in the state to first adopt the program.
“And we want to thank Dr. (Jim) Phares for being very progressive and embracing the program,” Chico said.
Since then, AmberView has not only spread throughout West Virginia, but it has also moved into other states as well. Chico said approximately 1,000 children will be documented in the Covington, Va., community. This is the first community outside West Virginia to utilize the program.
“And communities in Maryland and Pennsylvania have expressed their interest in the program, too,” Chico said.
“These communities recognize that this is a very unique tool in helping to locate missing children,” he added.
Chico also expressed his gratitude to Retton for taking part in the commercial. He added that it was important for a national icon to lend her support to the program.
“But not only is she a national icon, she’s also a mother concerned with the security of children,” he said.
Phares, Marion County superintendent of schools, praised the program, calling it an essential tool in protecting children. He said that one of the greatest fears of all educators is to have a child in their class be abducted.
“When the pictures and description of the child go out to all law-enforcement officials and the media, it really increases the number of eyes looking for the child,” Phares said.
All filming and post-production work should be completed in three to five days, said Robert Tinnell, who filmed the commercial. The commercial should then be broadcast throughout the state. It will also be broadcast in Virginia and on YouTube, Chico said.
AmberView is funded through the National Institute of Justice. Chico also praised the work of Congressman Alan Mollohan for securing the funding for the project.
“AmberView would not have become a reality if it were not for all the hard work of Congressman Mollohan,” Chico said.
By Paul Fallon
Times West Virginian
— Mary Lou Retton added her voice to the many in law enforcement, academia and beyond who have supported the AmberView program.
Retton participated in the filming of a public-service announcement at White Hall Elementary School Tuesday morning.
Retton said that although she was adding her voice as a celebrity to help promote the program, she was supporting AmberView because she is the mother of four children. She added that she was happy to do anything she could to assist law enforcement to return abducted or missing children to their home.
“It’s every parent’s nightmare to have a child missing or be abducted,” Retton said during a break in the filming of the commercial.
AmberView is a program where an abducted or missing child’s picture is mass broadcast to law enforcement, the news media and many others minutes after the alert is given. The child’s picture is also broadcast with a description of a child.
The child’s picture is supplied every year with the parent’s consent. The picture is then put into a secure database accessible to the West Virginia State Police Amber Alert coordinator, said Robert Chico, program manager for AmberView.
AmberView was a program that was piloted in West Virginia, Chico said. He added that Marion County was one of three counties in the state to first adopt the program.
“And we want to thank Dr. (Jim) Phares for being very progressive and embracing the program,” Chico said.
Since then, AmberView has not only spread throughout West Virginia, but it has also moved into other states as well. Chico said approximately 1,000 children will be documented in the Covington, Va., community. This is the first community outside West Virginia to utilize the program.
“And communities in Maryland and Pennsylvania have expressed their interest in the program, too,” Chico said.
“These communities recognize that this is a very unique tool in helping to locate missing children,” he added.
Chico also expressed his gratitude to Retton for taking part in the commercial. He added that it was important for a national icon to lend her support to the program.
“But not only is she a national icon, she’s also a mother concerned with the security of children,” he said.
Phares, Marion County superintendent of schools, praised the program, calling it an essential tool in protecting children. He said that one of the greatest fears of all educators is to have a child in their class be abducted.
“When the pictures and description of the child go out to all law-enforcement officials and the media, it really increases the number of eyes looking for the child,” Phares said.
All filming and post-production work should be completed in three to five days, said Robert Tinnell, who filmed the commercial. The commercial should then be broadcast throughout the state. It will also be broadcast in Virginia and on YouTube, Chico said.
AmberView is funded through the National Institute of Justice. Chico also praised the work of Congressman Alan Mollohan for securing the funding for the project.
“AmberView would not have become a reality if it were not for all the hard work of Congressman Mollohan,” Chico said.
