Police partner with Facebook for Amber Alerts

When a child goes missing in Canada, you will now be quickly notified via Facebook.

The social media giant has teamed up with law enforcement agencies across the country on a new system to inform the public about amber alerts.

Chief David MacNeil is the president of the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association, and he told News 95.7 police in the province have created a new Facebook page.

“With over 13 million Canadians using Facebook every day on their mobile phone, we’re hoping that people will go on, and like the page, and then they’ll be able to get the instant information if it comes out for an amber alert,” he said.

When police issue an alert, Facebook will send out a picture and description of the child, as well as any other critical information.

Those alerts will go to your newsfeed if you are in the targeted geographical area where the child may be.

Kevin Chan, head of public policy with Facebook Canada, told News 95.7 what the company is trying to do is get information to people as quickly as possible.

“With 20 million Canadians on our service who are checking multiple times a day on Facebook mostly on their mobile, this is obviously, we think, a very powerful tool assisting law enforcement in finding missing children,” he said.

Police in Nova Scotia are asking the public to go online and ‘like’ the new Facebook page so they will be able to receive the alerts.

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