Amber Alert makes some smartphone users question technology

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) — The Amber Alert issued early Friday morning had many people waking up and looking at their cell phones.

The alert was issued after two kids from Salt Lake City, Utah was taken by their non-custodial parents.

The children were later found with Chris Montoya and Monica Martinez.

Montoya and Martinez had taken the children and checked into a motel in Gallup, New Mexico.

The motel clerk recognized the pair after being informed by an Amber Alert and reported them to police. Both Montoya and Martinez were taken into custody.

This was the first time in Nevada smartphone users were alerted through the Wireless Emergency Alert or WEA.

While the Emergency Alert System, EAS, is a broadcast function, WEA is a cell phone function.

The two are related in the same technology and is used to issue activations for both methods.

Last night the message was cut off in the emergency alerts and sent to Nevada smartphone users. And after two of four alerts were sent without description information, some question the systems effectiveness.

"It needs more details. Like a description," said Neil Shadhaya.

Normally these alerts would provide a license plate and other car descriptions according to Amber Alert officials.

Nevada law enforcement said the alert was processed in the Las Vegas dispatch center because the information they received led them to believe the two suspects and children were headed to Las Vegas.

Nevada Highway Patrol Chief Dennis Osborn said it is optional for people to turn off the Amber Alerts on their cell phones.

Osborn says he is not sure why the text was cut off and is inquiring into why the message was incomplete.

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