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Journal Article 9.1: Griffin, T., Miller, M. K., Hoppe, J., Rebideaux, A., & Hammack, R. (2007, December). A preliminary examination of AMBER alert’s effects. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 18(4), 378-394.

Abstract: AMBER Alerts are public announcements designed to elicit citizen tips that could help rapidly recover abducted children before they can be harmed by their kidnappers. Using various media accounts as a data source to garner a convenience sample of 275 alerts, the authors gathered basic information, including victim–offender relationship, recovery time, and the direct effects of the alert. AMBER Alert does appear to provide some positive benefits in recovering abducted children, although the evidence suggests that the alerts are not often used in “stereotypical” stranger abduction cases, and rarely do they appear to have the effect of possibly saving lives. The alerts appear most likely to be “successful” in familial abduction situations instead of the more menacing stranger abduction cases for which they were intended. Policy implications are discussed.

Journal Article 9.2: Katz, C. M., Webb, V. J., & Schaefer, D. R. (2000, December). The validity of police gang intelligence lists: Examining differences in delinquency between documented gang members and nondocumented delinquent youth. Police Quarterly, 3(4), 413-437.

Abstract: Over the past 15 years, the United States has seen a dramatic increase in the number of specialized gang units established by police departments across the country. The majority of these units were established for the purpose of gathering intelligence on gangs, gang members, and gang-related activity. The present study seeks to advance the understanding of the usefulness of gang intelligence systems. In particular, the authors focus on how successful the police are at identifying and documenting youth whom they believe pose a substantial threat to the community. Using data obtained from the Mesa, Arizona, police department’s gang unit and the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department, the authors found that gang lists may be more helpful to the police than first believed. Policy implications are presented along with recommendations for future research.