Tasmania has joined a national rollout of the Facebook AMBER Alert child abduction system, which provides police with an immediate, targeted response to broadcasting a child abduction.

Under the system, police are able to issue an alert through a 24-hour service where Facebook users in the specific geographic location will be notified via their News Feed.

Key details of the missing child will be posted as the second dedicated story in a Facebook user’s News Feed with information including a photograph of the missing child, the name and description of the child, and relevant suspicious activity.

Police Commissioner Darren Hine, who today signed the national protocol with all State and Territory Police Commissioners in Melbourne, said that while child abductions were extremely rare in Tasmania, it was always best to be well prepared.

There have been two incidents of child abduction or attempted child abduction in Tasmania in the past 5 years which have resulted in prosecution.

“The safety of children is our utmost priority and Tasmania Police is committed to doing everything we can to return children safely home to their family and loved ones in the very rare event of a child abduction,” Mr Hine said.

“With over 15 million Australians active on Facebook, it’s a really fast and efficient way of broadcasting critical information to as many people as possible.

“In addition to the AMBER alert, Tasmania Police will continue to use our existing means of broadcasting child abduction cases, including the Tasmania Police Facebook page, Twitter and media releases.”

More than 868 children in the US have been recovered as a direct result of an AMBER Alert since its launch in 1996.

Today Australia joins the United States, Canada, Greece, South Korea, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Taiwan, Jamaica, Malta, Mexico and Luxembourg in launching the Facebook AMBER Alert system.