By: Juliet Mettle-Edmonds
Children below 18 years who go missing or abducted in Ghana can now be identified and reunited with their families more swiftly, following the launch of the “Together We Shall Bring Them Home” initiative. This transformative project marks the official rollout of AMBER Alert Ghana; a child recovery system developed through a partnership between Meta and the Ghana Police Service.
Every minute counts when a child is missing, and by reaching people across Facebook, Instagram, and now Messenger, the country is demonstrating the power of technology and Meta’s commitment to partnering with law enforcement agencies and others to help protect children.
AMBER Alert is designed to increase the chances of finding missing children by putting more people on the lookout for them.
When an AMBER Alert is activated by the Ghana Police Service, the alert will appear in the Facebook and Instagram Feeds of users, and as a notification on Messenger, within the designated search area. The AMBER Alert will contain all the necessary information about the missing child such as a photo description, location of the abduction, and other relevant and available information to aid in immediately identifying the missing child.
The Director of the Law Enforcement Outreach at META, Madam Emily Vacher said the expansion of AMBER Alerts to Messenger, reflects their deep commitment to child safety and to building safer communities across Africa and beyond.
The Director-General of Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service COP Lydia Donkor, said this technology will help the CID act faster, reach farther, and resolve more cases to ensure that every missing child has a better chance of being found.
“I would like to express my appreciation to the Police Administration for the unfaltering administrative support, offering the resources and policy guidance that allows the Missing Persons Unit to function optimally. If it were not for them, the achievements we are celebrating today would not have been possible”.
“I should also praise the other police units and departments that work together with us on missing persons cases. Your timely response, intelligence assistance, and operational coordination have been most valuable in our operations”.
“Since its inception four years ago, the Missing Persons Unit has managed to reunite three hundred and ninety-three (393) children with their families; and behind each reunion is not only a figure, but a life reclaimed, a family reunited, and a community revitalized. These are testaments to the diligence of our officers, our partners, and the alertness of the Ghanaian people”.
“The implementation of the AMBER Alert system will also facilitate our recovery of abducted and missing children with accuracy and speed. By disseminating vital information regarding missing or abducted children instantly to millions of individuals via social media outlets and partner networks, we can adequately engage communities and heighten the prospects of safe recovery within what we refer to as the ‘Golden Hour’ the first few hours following the disappearance of a child”.
“But let me be clear: the effectiveness of this system will not be left to the police alone. It will need the active cooperation of every one of us parents, guardians, community leaders, the media, and the public at large. We all must constantly be on the lookout, reactive, and dedicated to our children’s safety”.
The AMBER Alert programme was launched on Facebook in 2015 and has since assisted in hundreds of successful child endangerment cases around the world. In June 2022, Meta expanded the AMBER Alerts Programme to Instagram globally.
With the rollout of Messenger and Ghana joining as the 36th country and fifth African country following (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco), Meta continues to invest in technologies that help protect children and strengthen collaboration with law enforcement.
By extending the programme to more platforms and regions, Meta aims to ensure critical information reaches people quickly, boosting the chances of safely recovering missing children.
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