Checking for an amber alert today colorado can be a nerve-wracking experience. You hear that piercing, high-pitched screech from your smartphone, and suddenly, your heart drops. It’s a sound designed to demand attention, and for good reason.
Honestly, most of us just want to know two things immediately: who is missing and what kind of car are we looking for? As of right now, January 13, 2026, there are no active Amber Alerts currently issued by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
While the silence is good news, today actually holds a somber significance. It is National Amber Alert Day.
Exactly 30 years ago, on January 13, 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas. Her case remains unsolved, but her legacy is the system that has helped recover over 1,000 children across the United States. In Colorado alone, the CBI has issued over 100 alerts since 2002, boasting a remarkably high success rate in bringing kids home.
What's Happening in Colorado Right Now?
Even though the Amber Alert system isn't active today, Colorado's law enforcement has been incredibly busy. Last night, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) went into a full lockdown. Someone fired shots outside Antero Hall. It wasn't an abduction—which is why you didn't see an Amber Alert—but it was a "Campus Alert" that closed the school today while police tracked down a suspect.
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Then you’ve got the situation in Douglas County. Just yesterday, a deputy was wounded during a high-speed pursuit involving an armed carjacking suspect.
These incidents often get confused with Amber Alerts because they all trigger emergency notifications. But the criteria for an amber alert today colorado are actually very specific. If those boxes aren't checked, the CBI uses different tools like "Blue Alerts" for officer threats or "Endangered Missing" alerts for other high-risk situations.
Why Some Missing Kids Don't Get an Amber Alert
It feels wrong, right? A kid goes missing, and you expect the phones to go off. But the "Amber" criteria are strictly guarded to prevent "alert fatigue." If the system went off every time a teenager ran away or a parent was late for a custody swap, people would just turn the notifications off.
To trigger an Amber Alert in Colorado, law enforcement must confirm:
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- The child is 17 years old or younger.
- There is a reasonable belief an abduction has occurred.
- The child is in immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death.
- There is enough descriptive info (like a license plate or suspect name) to actually help the public find them.
If a child is missing but there's no evidence of a "snatch," or if the police don't have a vehicle description, they won't pull the Amber trigger. Instead, they might issue a "Missing Endangered" alert. It’s a lower-tier notification that hits social media and news desks but doesn't necessarily make every phone in the state vibrate.
The Tech Behind the Screech
Ever wonder how the alert gets to your phone so fast? It’s not a text message. It’s something called Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). It uses a different part of the cellular network than your standard SMS. That’s why it can bypass network congestion during an emergency.
Colorado also uses "Flock" cameras now. These are automated license plate readers (ALPR) scattered across cities like Boulder and Aurora. In a recent case from late 2025, an Amber Alert was solved in just two hours because these cameras spotted the suspect's white Hyundai Sonata crossing a city limit line. The tech is basically a digital net.
What You Should Actually Do When You See an Alert
Don’t just glance and dismiss. If you see an amber alert today colorado on your screen, do these three things:
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- Check the plate: The license plate is the most vital piece of info. Write it down or screenshot it.
- Look at your surroundings: If you’re driving, safely scan the cars around you. Most recoveries happen because a regular person at a gas station or a red light noticed a car from the alert.
- Do NOT approach: If you see the vehicle, call 911 immediately. Don't try to be a hero or tail the car closely. You could spook the suspect and put the child in more danger.
Staying Updated Without the Noise
If you want to stay in the loop without waiting for the emergency blast, you've got options. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation maintains a dedicated "CBI Alerts" page. It’s the source of truth. You can also follow the @coloradodot highway signs, which are often the first to display vehicle descriptions for travelers on I-25 or I-70.
The system isn't perfect, and it relies heavily on us—the people on the road. Today, as we remember Amber Hagerman, the best thing you can do is ensure your "Emergency Alerts" are turned ON in your phone settings. It’s annoying for five seconds, but for a family in crisis, that noise is the sound of hope.
To keep track of active cases, you can bookmark the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's official alert portal or follow the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for posters of children who are still missing but no longer under an active Amber Alert status.