MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee residents are calling for greater transparency from law enforcement after expressing concerns about what they feel was a delayed issuance of an Amber Alert for 7-year-old Jamal White. The alert was issued nearly five hours after he was reported missing, leading some to question the urgency of the response.
RELATED COVERAGE: Family reunites with 7-year-old Jamal White after being taken by gunpoint
Jamal was found safe near 39th and Lloyd in Milwaukee after he was reportedly abducted at gunpoint on Friday night. While the outcome was positive, many community members, including Lorien Carter, are dissatisfied with how the situation was handled.
"Yes, specifically in terms of the Amber Alert," Carter stated when asked if she felt the police dropped the ball.
Watch: Amber alert delay for abducted Milwaukee boy draws criticism of protocols and response time
Adding to the urgency of the situation, doorbell footage provided by Jamal’s family shows a white Jeep SUV, believed to be the suspect's vehicle, driving past moments before Jamal's cries for help could be heard. The video quickly circulated on social media, raising alarm among community members.
"My immediate reaction was, Where is my Amber Alert? If this happened just two hours ago, where is my Amber Alert?" said Carter.
Another viewer wrote on the TMJ4 News Facebook page asking, "Can you find out why it took them 4 hours for an Amber Alert, please? The city wants answers."
Jamal was reported missing by his family around 7 p.m. on Friday.
On Monday, Milwaukee police informed TMJ4 News Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins that they requested an Amber Alert from the Department of Justice at approximately 9:22 p.m., following an investigation to gather necessary information.
However, the Amber Alert was not issued until just before midnight, more than two hours after MPD's request.
According to the Department of Justice's website, an Amber Alert can be issued when a child under 17 has been abducted, is in danger of serious injury or death, and there is sufficient descriptive information available to help locate the child.
Carter expressed concern that all criteria had been met: "All of these were met when it was reported when he was taken by gunpoint."
She worries that the lack of urgency witnessed in Jamal's case is indicative of a larger issue.
"We know that it took, as you said, it took almost 5 hours to release that Amber Alert. And what we’re witnessing, there is a term for it, it's called Missing White Child Syndrome," she said.
Carter is now calling for a review of police protocols and greater transparency, emphasizing the critical timing in abduction cases. "For anybody that doesn't know, 75 percent of all child abduction tragedies happen within the first three hours of the tragedy," she added. "Our children should not be less protected because of the color of their skin."
TMJ4 News did reach out to the Wisconsin DOJ to ask for more specifics about the timeline of the event. No update or response was given in time for the broadcast deadline.
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