Two months ago, with the goal of putting parents in charge of protecting their children from known predators with real time alerts, the non-profit AmberWatch Foundation released a startling viral video – Weapon of Choice – featuring moms with guns. The video generated over 596,000 views on YouTube and other outlets. More than 225,000 parents have signed up at www.AmberWatchAlert.org for news of child predators in their selected zip codes.

For full view of August 19, 2010 Amber Alert, click here.

In this video, Jarrett answers frequently asked questions about the service, issues of child abduction and child safety, and the organization’s explosive PSA.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thus far, 150 alerts per month have been issued nationwide. AmberWatch founder and CEO Keith Jarrett sees the potential for a virtual neighborhood watch that might mean law enforcement would never again need to issue an Amber Alert for a missing child. Since launching AmberWatch Alert, he has received numerous letters from grateful parents.

The alerts are issued as follows: Parents receive email Amber Watch Alerts if a child predator is or has recently been preying on children in any of their selected zip codes of interest. Information on predators is received through multiple sources, then vetted and authenticated by the AmberWatch Foundation before an official AmberWatch Alert email is issued.

The service was conceived as a parent’s “Weapon of Choice” in the area of child protection, and it is Jarrett’s hope that eventually every family in the US will be subscribed.

About AmberWatch Foundation:

AmberWatch Foundation was established in 2004, with the mission to provide educational programs and innovative technologies that proactively and preemptively protect children against abduction, predators and the dangers of the digital world. The AmberWatch Foundation is a 501c3 national not for profit organization, headquartered in Seal Beach, California.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The video, launched on June 22, directs viewers to www.AmberWatchAlert.org, which is a FREE email-based Child-Predator Alert service that alerts parent-subscribers of potentially harmful child predator activity occurring in their area sourced from local law enforcement agencies, schools, as well as other concerned parents and citizens, and where all such alerts are vetted and authenticated by the AmberWatch Foundation before they are sent out.

While the well-known Amber Alert is a successful national system that alerts the public after a child has been abducted, the new AmberWatch Alert service is a powerful, proactive weapon that parents can use to prevent abductions and abuse before any such tragedy happens in the first place.

AmberWatch Foundation’s CEO, Keith Jarrett, speculates that the enormous viewer interest in the “Moms with Guns” video is likely due to the strong reactions it has stirred online for its graphic depiction of moms literally taking up arms in the war against child predators. They are shown wielding all manner of automatic weapons, a powerful visual that is sparking conversation and controversy from all angles.

“Moms are fierce when it comes to protecting their children,” said Jarrett, who begins a media tour late this month to promote and explain the new service.   “Mom’s Weapon of Choice” campaign was intended to be “an aggressive push to remind us all that the power to change things – the power to take control of our world – is ours only if we unite and stand together,” explained Jarrett. “The subject of child abduction and abuse is one society can no longer afford to be passive and shy about, and we want people to see mothers as warriors, strong and steadfast, united under a common goal, and prepared for battle.  By banding together under this empowering new alert system and the community-sourced knowledge base that powers it, we then become forces to be reckoned with.”

Jarrett said he is hoping to register 10 million+ subscribers. “Keeping our children safe is a universal priority,” he said, “and it requires decisive action. We’re urging all parents to take it.”

Part of a campaign that will extend to print, radio, and television, the PSA features moms, since they are usually the children’s primary caregivers. The AmberWatch Alert service, however, unites families  – moms, dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters, their neighbors and communities – and gives them a hands-on, very accessible means to keep their children safe.

Click here to view the embedded video.

AmberWatch Alert is a free subscriber service – Parents receive email Alerts if a child predator is or has recently been preying on children in any of their selected zip codes of interest. Information on predators is received through multiple sources, then vetted and authenticated by the AmberWatch Foundation before an official AmberWatch Alert email is issued.

The spot shows moms taking up arms in the fight to protect their children. It’s a bold statement, and it kicks off a major drive to get 10 million+ parents to register for this free service.

“To connect communities in aggressive child protection, we created a system that spreads the word about predators before they can harm our children,” said AmberWatch Foundation CEO Keith Jarrett, who begins a national media tour in late June to promote AmberWatch Alert. “Subscriber-Parents receive email Alerts if a child predator is or has recently been preying on children in any of their selected zip codes of interest. Information on predators is received through multiple sources, then vetted and authenticated by the AmberWatch Foundation before an official AmberWatch Alert email is issued.” Jarrett added that alerts are graded based on the level of concern, combining community proactivity and awareness with authentication and appropriate law enforcement involvement.

One need only refer to a handful of statistics to sense the immediate need for a service like AmberWatch Alert:

•    2,200 children are reported missing every day – US Dept of Justice

•    Over 260,000 children are abducted each year – US Dept of Justice

•    One in four girls and one in six boys are victims of sexual assault by the age of 18 – Kaiser Permanente

While the cross-media marketing campaign is geared toward the aggregation of a 10MM+ parent database of subscribers (with kids between the ages of 4 through 17), the Foundation views law enforcement agencies and schools – which previously had no unified method of sharing information – as key partners in this endeavor. “Parents, schools, and police are always on the lookout for possible predators, but until now there was no organized way to unify this effort or share this information beyond a single school.” said Jarrett. “When an ‘Amber Alert’ goes out, the abduction has already taken place. Now, parents are united and armed with a ‘weapon of choice’ to prevent abduction.”

AmberWatch Foundation was established in 2004, with the mission to provide educational programs and innovative technologies that proactively and preemptively protect children against abduction, predators and the dangers of the digital world. Initiatives such as the “Be Safe!” Education Program have garnered the support of Foundation Champions from our nation’s law enforcement, professional sports, media, and entertainment arenas, and earned AmberWatch Foundation distinction as a GuideStar verified nonprofit organization.

The AmberWatch Foundation is a 501c3 national not for profit organization, headquartered in Seal Beach, California.

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