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A memorial to Nalani Johnson, a 1-year-old from Penn Hills who died last year, sits in Pine Ridge Park where the body was found.
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Amber Alert revision: Proposal would speed up notifications

Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette

Amber Alert revision: Proposal would speed up notifications

It’s a commonsense proposal sparked by a tragic incident last year

Every minute counts when a child is abducted, so a state legislator is hoping to revise Pennsylvania’s Amber Alert law to provide law enforcement and the public with more of those precious minutes.

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Penn Hills, is proposing a change that would allow activation of the Missing Endangered Person Advisory System immediately when a parent or family member reports an abduction. The intent is to speed up the process for issuing an alert and get the public involved sooner in tracking down an abductor.

It’s a commonsense proposal sparked by a tragic incident last year and one that state lawmakers should approve and implement.

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The impetus for Mr. DeLuca’s bill was the kidnapping and death last August of 2-year-old Nalani Johnson. The girl’s father reported the abduction immediately to Penn Hills police, along with the name of the kidnapper, the vehicle she was driving and the direction of travel. However, the alert was not sent for hours because of what Mr. DeLuca termed the “strict criteria” that had to be met before an alert is issued.

In the bill’s memorandum, Mr. DeLuca wrote that “It was not until the kidnapper was taken into custody that the Amber Alert was broadcast to the public.” The child’s body was found in an Indiana County park three days after the reported abduction.

“Time is of the essence in these situations,” Mr. DeLuca said. “The proposal won’t cost any more money or any more manpower. If it saves one or two lives, it will be worth it.”

The current Pennsylvania State Police criteria for issuing an alert requires that the abducted child be under 18 years of age and is believed to be in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury. Additional factors can be considered, such as the availability of descriptive information that could assist in recovery of the child; the time elapsed since the child was last seen; and the reliability of witnesses.

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Mr. DeLuca’s bill, which already has 20 bipartisan co-sponsors, would bypass much of the criteria in favor of getting the alert out as soon as possible.

The “Nalani Johnson Rule,” as it has been referred to, could be the difference between thwarting a child abduction and forcing another family to endure a horrible tragedy. It’s a proposal that should be adopted.

First Published: March 6, 2020, 11:00 a.m.

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A memorial to Nalani Johnson, a 1-year-old from Penn Hills who died last year, sits in Pine Ridge Park where the body was found.  (Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette)
Christian Snyder/Post-Gazette
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