Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith announced his support for yesterday’s Senate action, which calls for a national child recovery alert system or National Alert System (NAS). With the 92-0 vote, the Senate unanimously backed a bill to expand an alert system that will help trace abducted children.
Last month Chief Keith was selected by United States Assistant Attorney General Deborah Daniels to help develop a national strategy for the recovery of missing children. The safety of children has always been a top priority for Keith. Currently, Chief Keith is an instructor for the National Center ‘for Missing and Exploited Children and has helped the center develop a model policy for responding to incidents of missing and exploited children. In October, Chief Keith launched the first regional AMBER Alert Plan in Tennessee. Since the launch more than thirty regional law enforcement and public safety agencies have signed the AMBER Memorandum of Understanding.
Chief Keith said, “The Senate’s support is crucial to the development of a national alert system. With a nationwide child recovery system in place, the chances for a safe recovery of an abducted child will be greatly enhanced.”
Chief Keith said most murders of child kidnap victims occur within the first three hours after the abduction. The Senate’s bill would create a national coordinator in the Department of Justice to help get an alert out across state lines. It would also provide assistance to states that want to set up alert systems.
Keith said, “The Knoxville Regional AMBER Alert Plan launched last year will be used as a model for a statewide alert system. Currently, law enforcement agencies in the Tri-Cities and Chattanooga regions are creating child recovery plans that will interface with the Knoxville region.”
“That continued growth and enthusiasm from Fast Tennessee law enforcement agencies will tremendously increase the chances for the successful recovery of an abducted child,” Chief Keith concluded.

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