The Michigan Lottery is partnering with the state police to help spread AMBER Alerts throughout Michigan.
When these alerts go out, they will now appear at retail lottery locations around the state. The partnership is expected to aid law enforcement in their efforts to find these missing children.
While the current partnership is limited to retail shops, it could expand to the Michigan online lottery website and mobile app in the future.
AMBER Alerts to appear instantly on digital signage in Michigan
The partnership between the lottery and state police was announced last week.
Going forward, when an AMBER Alert is issued by law enforcement, terminal messaging will be sent to nearly 10,000 MI Lottery retailers.
The message will be displayed on in-state lottery monitors, including self-service kiosks and Club Keno monitors. It will remain in place until cancelled by law enforcement.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement in a press release about the partnership:
“As governor and a former county prosecutor, keeping our children safe is a top priority. With (the) collaboration between the Michigan State Police and Michigan Lottery, we can get AMBER Alert information out to nearly 10,000 retailers across the state quickly, helping us locate missing children and save lives. Since I took office, we have invested more than $1.6 billion to protect public safety, and I will work with anyone to keep our families and communities safe.”
Along with digital alerts, retailers will be able to print and post copies of the alerts in their stores.
This agreement is personal for the new MI Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli, who works on the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. She stated her support for the partnership in the press release, as well:
“As a former prosecutor and current member of the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, a quick response from law enforcement and community members is critical when a child is missing or endangered. I am proud to utilize the Lottery’s resources in partnership with our retailers and the Michigan State Police to share AMBER Alerts with Michiganders throughout the state and help raise awareness of missing children so they can be brought home to their families quickly and safely.”
Michigan joins Wisconsin Lottery in AMBER Alert outreach
Michigan isn’t the only state to take this matter seriously in recent months.
In May, the Wisconsin Lottery announced a similar partnership as part of the Prince Act.
Like Michigan, missing child alerts in Wisconsin immediately go on display at retail lottery locations.
The partnership further expands the outreach of AMBER Alerts in both states.
For Michigan, these alerts already immediately go out to television and radio broadcasts, as well as cellular telephones.
The ability to spread the message comes from a voluntary partnership between law enforcement, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and wireless industries. You can now add the lottery industry to the mix.
Col. James F. Grady II, Director of the Michigan State Police, stressed the importance of time in these alerts. Adding in help from the MI Lottery is another step in improving the outreach:
“When an AMBER Alert is issued, minutes matter. It is critical to disseminate information about the missing endangered child as quickly as possible and in as many locations as possible so the public can be our eyes and ears in helping to safely locate a missing child. We appreciate the Michigan Lottery’s partnership in helping to spread these lifesaving messages.”
Photo by Gene J. Puskar / AP
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