An Amber Alert has been issued for Geon
King, a 9-year-old missing from Durham, North Carolina. Geon is a Black male, 4 feet 10
inches tall, weighing 100 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black
hoodie and sweatpants. Authorities believe he is with Mariah King, a 43-year-old Black female,
5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighing 140 pounds. Mariah has brown hair styled
in a bun with a ponytail and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing
grey sweatpants and a black crop top, reportedly leaving on foot from 202 South
Benjamin Street. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Durham Police Department
at 919-475-2511 or call 911 immediately. So, what is an Amber Alert? It's an emergency
notification system designed to spread information quickly about a child abduction. These alerts are
broadcasted through cell phones, highway signs, and local media to raise public awareness
and aid in the swift recovery of the child. The Amber Alert system was established in 1996,
named in honor of Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas.
This tragic event led to the creation of the alert system to help prevent similar cases
and assist in finding abducted children. In the United States, Texas reports the
highest number of Amber Alerts. In 2022, Texas issued 31 alerts, while Georgia and
Florida reported 14 and 13 respectively. States like Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts,
and Michigan reported zero alerts that year. The effectiveness of the Amber Alert system is
evident, having helped recover approximately 1,200 children by the end of 2023. The alerts
also contribute to thwarting abductions as perpetrators often abandon their
plans upon hearing the broadcast. To issue an Amber Alert, certain criteria
must be met: the child must be under 18, believed to be abducted, and in imminent
danger. There must also be specific details about the child and suspect to aid the
public in the search. These criteria are outlined by the Department
of Justice on AmberAlert.gov."