When a child goes missing in Lubbock County, we want immediate and serious action taken to find the child. However, an AMBER alert is not always issued when a child goes missing. In Lubbock, AMBER Alerts are issued under the statewide system coordinated by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) when specific, serious criteria are met.
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What an AMBER Alert Is
AMBER stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, a nationwide alert system created to enlist the public’s help in finding abducted children before it’s too late. The program originated in Texas after the 1996 abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Arlington.
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Strict Criteria Before an Alert Is Issued
In Lubbock, law enforcement will only request an AMBER Alert when all of the legal criteria have been met. These rules exist to keep the alert system effective and to prevent public desensitization.
A statewide AMBER Alert request generally requires:
The child is 17 years old or younger, and their location is unknown.
Law enforcement believes an abduction has occurred, not just a missing person case.
The child is believed to be in imminent danger of serious injury or death.
There’s enough identifiable information (e.g., description of the child, suspect, vehicle) that sharing it publicly could help locate the child.
If these criteria are absent, officers may investigate privately but not trigger an AMBER Alert, even for missing children. That’s why in some Lubbock County cases where a child was missing, an AMBER Alert wasn’t immediately issued; officials waited until the full criteria were verified before sending out a statewide notice.
How Alerts Are Activated
Once local police or sheriff’s deputies determine the criteria are met, they send a written activation request to the Texas DPS. DPS then issues the alert through the statewide emergency alert system.
Under a 2023 Texas law update (sometimes referred to as the Athena Alert bill), local agencies can also request local area AMBER Alerts in some circumstances before all criteria are fully verified, allowing alerts within a defined nearby area around where a child is believed missing.
What to Do When an AMBER Alert Is Issued
If you receive an alert while in Lubbock or elsewhere in Texas:
Read the details carefully; suspect and vehicle descriptions matter.
Watch the road and surroundings for matches.
Call 911 immediately if you see someone or something that fits the description.
Even a small tip from the public can help save a life.
Why AMBER Alerts Don’t Fire for Every Missing Child
Not every missing child report leads to an AMBER Alert. For example, cases involving runaways, custody disputes without confirmed danger, or situations lacking sufficient information typically don’t meet the alert criteria. This careful use helps preserve the AMBER Alert’s power to capture attention when it’s most needed.
The Top 10 Most Wanted Gang Fugitives in Lubbock For February 2026
Lubbock Police, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Department, and even authorities in other parts of Texas are looking for these fugitives who have been spotted before in the Lubbock area. Take a look and see if you recognize any of these fugitives. This list could be updated later in February.
Gallery Credit: Chad Hasty