There was concern yesterday for the safety of the child

News 14 March, 2018
  • Photo Courtesy
    Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou

    Antoine Lacroix

    Wednesday, 14 march, 2018 00:38

    UPDATE
    Wednesday, 14 march, 2018 00:38

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    Even if the Montreal police was not certain yesterday afternoon that the young Ariel Jeffrey Kouakou has been removed, she has decided to call an AMBER alert because she feared for the safety of the boy.

    “We will be able to evaluate our choices, to criticize later, but for now, it is to find this young man. A human life, it is precious, ” said Ian Lafrenière, inspector of the Montreal police (SPVM). This last raised the alert in the late evening.

    Normally, in order for an AMBER alert to be triggered, police must be able to meet the following three criteria :

    • reasonable grounds to believe that a person under the age of 18 years has been the victim of an abduction;
    • the child is at risk of suffering serious bodily harm or it is in danger of death;
    • the police service has sufficient descriptive information that allow to believe that the immediate broadcast of the alert will help to trace the child.

    A witness met with

    According to the authorities, this situation necessitated such a warning.

    “In this case, it is considered that its life is in danger because of the temperature and of all the time spent outside, more than 24 hours. We do not take chances, and opens up the machine, ” said Mr. Lafrenière.

    The onset of AMBER has had the desired effect, for the SPVM, who has finally begun to receive calls from the public.

    A woman who would cross the young boy Monday to 14 h in the park of the Boatmen, was being sought by police. It was found yesterday evening.

    “We have received a fifty information. They are all evaluated, ” says Andrée-Anne Picard, of the SPVM.

    Changes to AMBER ?

    The ex-investigator of the Sûreté du Québec Paul Laurier believes that we should make more use of technological means to disseminate the alerts.

    “By sending a text message to all phones and even adding photos can reach virtually everyone in the world instantly,” he says.

    A relaxation of the rules of AMBER should be studied, supports Pina Arcamone, director general of the missing Children’s Network-and Back.

    “The police will have to address the issue. Anything that would help us to find vulnerable children, it is important. The AMBER alert is an essential tool. It should be used in exceptional cases, ” she said.