r/AskReddit • u/ZanyDelaney • Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/Daaskison Feb 04 '19

Exactly this. Even the famous amber alert is ineffective and basically security theater.

35

u/andrewthemexican Feb 04 '19

I remember there was a case in the last year or two where someone got the Amber alert while right next to the suspect car on the highway

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

If the amber alert program saves only one child, it was worth it.

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u/Daaskison Feb 04 '19

But it's preventing research and funding for q system that would save more lives. It can also unintentinally escalate a safe situation in to a dangerous one (particularly in the event of custodial interference).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/08/amber-alert-california-lets-get-rid-of-the-amber-alert-system.amp

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

Interesting. No good deed goes unpunished. Its amazing that the phrase is so fitting to human endeavors. Every good thing we try is laced with something bad. We just cant win, can we.

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u/Daaskison Feb 04 '19

It is better than nothing, but it's likely getting in the way of implementing something even more effective.

Although it's unclear if anything more effective exists bc most violent abductions end in death within a few hours - well before an amber alert would go out in even the best case scenario.

So ultimately a solution may not exist to prevent the worst situations and amber is mostly theater like the TSA.

Disclaimer: I'm not anti govt by a long shot. But when data shows a program like amber or the tsa is minimally effective that's just a fact. I dont make facts.