Keep the agency as the source
A missing-person situation can change quickly. A public request should come from the responsible agency, identify what the public is being asked to do, and be updated or withdrawn when appropriate.
Use urgent channels for urgent information
If immediate assistance is needed or an emergency is unfolding, call 911. A tip queue is not an emergency dispatch line and may not be reviewed promptly.
Respect subsequent instructions
A resolved or corrected request should change how information is used. Verify the current agency update before repeating details. This example does not assert a missing-person recovery or a measured result for Lucas.
Make a public request understandable
A useful agency request gives the public relevant identifying context and a clear description of the information sought. The latest publication time and any subsequent update matter: an earlier request may no longer be current. A resident should be able to identify the source before sharing the post or deciding to contribute.
An observation outside the issuing city may still be relevant. Where a supported reporting path exists, check the recipient and explain when and where the observation occurred. An app connection does not make a citizen responsible for searching or approaching a person. Follow the agency’s directions and use emergency services where immediate assistance is required.
Understand the role of AMBER Alerts
AMBER Alerts concern specific child-abduction circumstances under applicable activation criteria. Not every missing-person request is an AMBER Alert, and other official warnings have different purposes. Lucas is intended to complement the appropriate channels by organizing participating agencies’ information and the contributions that may follow.
Describe the intended impact honestly
The aspiration is to make a relevant observation easier to contribute to the appropriate agency. That can be explained without claiming an actual recovery or a guaranteed result. Any future case study should establish permission, accurate chronology, the contribution of other people and systems, and evidence for the particular outcome described.
Read the current request before sharing it
Start with the agency that issued the information. Check the publication time, the relevant location and what the department is asking people to do. A shared image can remain online after the circumstances have changed, so return to the original source before passing it on.
An update may distinguish confirmed information from details still being checked. Preserve that distinction. A possible sighting is not a confirmed identification, and a description that resembles someone is not proof that they are the person in the request.
If an agency publishes a correction or resolution, follow its current instructions. Avoid continuing to circulate an older request merely because it was the first version you saw. Keeping the information current respects both the agency’s work and the people described.
Describe a possible observation without overstating it
Give the receiving agency the place, approximate time and details you personally observed. Explain which features prompted you to think the observation might be relevant, and identify what you could not see clearly. Do not fill a gap with a guess presented as fact.
For a fictional example, “I saw someone with a similar jacket near the library around 3 p.m.; I could not see their face” is an account of an observation. It does not assert that the missing person was found. The agency is responsible for assessing the information and deciding what follows.
Share through the route identified in the current request. Do not approach, follow or photograph someone at risk to yourself or others. If immediate assistance is needed, call 911 rather than waiting for an app submission to be reviewed.
AMBER is a particular official process
The Department of Justice recommends defined AMBER activation criteria involving a child abduction, danger and sufficient identifying information. Not every missing-person report meets those criteria. Authorities and state plans determine whether an activation is appropriate.
A department can also issue a public information request through other approved channels. A community app can provide room for the department’s explanation and an appropriate route for information where supported. It does not turn the message into an AMBER Alert or bypass the official process.
The intended benefit is a clearer exchange of relevant information. We do not claim that Lucas has located a missing person, improved an outcome or established response times without evidence of that actual result.
A focused missing-child request
In a fictional scenario, a department publishes the child description it is authorized to share, identifies the relevant area and time, and asks residents to check existing camera footage. People can read one current request and send relevant information to the issuing department instead of posting an unverified theory in a public thread.
Staff can assign incoming tips, record status and maintain internal notes as they assess each account. A later department update can change the request. The scenario illustrates a useful information path; it does not imply a recovery result, a real child or agency adoption.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Department of Justice: AMBER Alert criteria
- FBI: providing useful information in a tip
- Department of Justice: AMBER Alert criteria
Page reviewed October 27, 2026. External guidance explains the stated topic; it does not establish a product outcome or endorsement.