BRADENTON - Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells has changed his department's policy on notifying the media about missing children following the videotaped abduction of Carlie Brucia in neighboring Sarasota.
Wells said his department will notify the media when parents believe their missing children are in danger rather than wait to confirm they have been abducted.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office waited a day to issue an Amber Alert after the 11-year-old disappeared while walking home from a friend's house, even though her parents called for help within minutes of her disappearance.
The alert was issued after investigators discovered that a car wash video surveillance camera had captured images of a man leading Carlie away. Her body was found five days later. Unemployed mechanic Joseph P. Smith is being held on first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape charges.
The state requires Florida police agencies to confirm that a child is in danger before issuing an Amber Alert. Amber Alerts are not supposed to be used for runaways.
"The Amber Alert is a great plan," Wells said. "The problem is, situations aren't always clear cut and ... sometimes we may not have enough evidence to activate the plan."
Wells said his department will alert the media on its own, even when it isn't a clear case of abduction.
A detective will also automatically be assigned to calls where a child might be in danger, said Maj. Connie Shingledecker.
Even with runaways, the department should use its resources to find the missing child, Shingledecker said.
"My feeling is, always err on the side of caution and put the information out," she said. "At least we'll have the child back."
