IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST AMBER ALERT WAS ISSUED IN ILLINOIS.

AMBER ALERTS ARE BROADCAST WHEN A CHILD IS MISSING OR HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED AND IS IMMINENT DANGER. STATE AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR CRAIG BURGE SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN AN EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOL.

BURGE SAYS NEW TECHNOLOGY OVER THE YEARS HAVE HELPED MAKE THE ALERTS MORE EFFECTIVE.

SINCE THE AMBER ALERT SYSTEM STARTED BEING USED ILLINOIS, 118 ALERTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. 67 KIDS WERE RECOVERED AS A DIRECT RESULT AND ANOTHER 22 WERE FOUND INDIRECTLY.