Contact your local law-enforcement agency and ask for their public information officer. Ask the public information officer if there is an organization that brings together law-enforcement officers from various counties or cities on a regular basis to discuss community needs.

For example many areas fall within the jurisdiction of a Council of Governments, a law-enforcement association, or a community policing-type organization. Ask for a contact name within that organization.

Contact the appropriate person within the local law-enforcement association, and schedule a meeting to introduce the idea of law-enforcement participation in starting a local AMBER Plan Program.

Suggest that the appropriate person contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to obtain an AMBER Alert handbook and a copy of the AMBER Alert training tape.

Once support is demonstrated by local law enforcement for establishing a program in your community, work with law enforcement to determine the most effective way to contact general managers of local radio and television stations about supporting the program.

Suggest that the local law-enforcement agencies hold a luncheon with local general managers to discuss the need for a local program.

Once you have gained support from local law-enforcement agencies and some facets of the local media, suggest to law-enforcement that they set up a task force consisting of law enforcement, media representatives, and include a community liaison. The Task Force will be responsible for developing and overseeing your local AMBER Plan.