'If a system cannot protect children, it's not worth defending': Washington lawmakers call for review of AMBER alert protocols after Decker killings

Yahoo

14 hours ago

Jun. 13—A bipartisan group of Washington lawmakers has called on the state to reform its AMBER alert system and others after the killings of three young sisters near Leavenworth.
"All little girls should be alive. They should be learning, growing, laughing and dreaming," said Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland. "Instead, we are left with an unspeakable sorrow and a burning question: How did our system fail to protect children?"
Friday's call for action comes as authorities in central Washington continue to search for Travis Decker, the father suspected of killing his three young daughters during an unsupervised visit late last month. The deaths have sparked national and international headlines, and calls for lawmakers to prevent a similar crime from happening again.
"We're not here to make any rash judgments, but we want to look at the system and an ongoing evaluation of what can we do to make things safer for a family that is going through these types of situations in parenting plans," said Rep. Brian Burnett, R-Wenatchee. "This is one of the most difficult things you're ever going to face, whether in law enforcement, whether in civil litigation or the judicial system, is making sure that the children are safe, along with the mothers and the fathers as well."
Federal authorities continue to search for Decker, who has been charged with kidnapping and aggravated first-degree murder in the deaths of Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9.
The siblings were spending time with their father during an unsupervised custodial visit on May 30. When Decker did not return the children by the specified time, authorities began to search the Wenatchee Valley .
While the Wenatchee Police Department requested the Washington State Patrol to issue an AMBER alert in the case, the agency determined the case did not meet the criteria. An endangered and missing person alert was issued the following day.
"We are determined to review the AMBER alert system and assess what reforms are needed, whether it's expanding criteria, improving interagency coordination or strengthening the role of family violence risk assessments in family custody proceedings," Walen said. "We owe it to all of the children in the state of Washington to take action, not just reflect. Because the truth is, if a system cannot protect children, it's not a system worth defending."
Captain Brian Chance of the Wenatchee Police Department said during a June 3 news conference that an endangered and missing person alert generates a flyer that is distributed to authorities across the state, and information for the alert is displayed on the reader boards along state highways.
Unlike an Amber Alert, a Missing and Endangered Person Alert does not generate a push notification to cell phones and other devices and typically includes an expiration time; however, Chance noted that the expiration was extended through cooperation with the Washington State Patrol.
According to U.S. Justice Department guidance, AMBER Alerts must meet five criteria to be issued:
* A reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred
* .
* The agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death
* .
* There is adequate descriptive information about the victim and the abduction
* .
* The abduction is of a child aged 17 years or younger
* .
* The child's name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center system.
According to the Washington State Patrol, there was not a reasonable belief on the night the sisters went missing that they had been abducted or were in imminent danger.
Burnett, who was elected to the Legislature in 2024, previously served for 12 years as the Chelan County sheriff, and now represents the county in the state capital.
"As a husband of 38 years and a father of seven and a grandfather of 10, when these types of things go down, we say, 'What did we miss? What did we miss locally? What did we miss in law enforcement? What did we miss legislatively or even judicially? And the systems of what can we do differently?' " Burnett said. "And so that's my promise to you, as a former law enforcement officer, elected sheriff and now a legislator, to say we need to look at things that we can do."
Burnett said Friday that while the case has brought to light cracks in the system, the need for reform goes deeper.
"We don't want other young girls and young boys and mothers to have to face this type of heartbreak and tragedy in the future," Burnett said. "But say, 'What do we need to do with our system to make it better, to work together, to collaborate with all of the stakeholders, so we're going to look for the missing components, we're going to say, 'What can we do to add better layers?' "
Burnett further called on additional training for judges to ensure they "are informed with what they are dealing with."