Digital Billboards Used To Save Lives In Time-Critical Situations

EL PASO, TX. – El Paso Police are teaming up with the company that put up all those new, brightly-colored electronic billboards to improve the Amber Alert Program for missing children.

In East El Paso Monday, El Paso Police Chief Richard Wiles and “Clear Channel Outdoor” PresidentVJ Smith tested the new digital billboards. El Paso Police ran a test of a new Amber Alert message on the digital board at Rojas and Lee Trevino.

The digital displays throughout the city can now display information soon after a child abduction is reported. The Amber Alert Program is a partnership between police and media outlets designed to get the word out on missing children as quickly as possible.

Officials hope the ability to put pertinent information up on billboards during time-critical situations will be an effective tool for the community. “That’s a tremendous thing, for them to come to us like that, andI tell you what, we are so appreciative of that, that is really what makes us a great community to live in and makes it safe,” said Chief Wiles.

The Clear Channel Outdoor digital network in El Paso has been operational for the past five weeks. They say the signs reach more than 261,000 El Paso residents daily. Amber Alert programs are credited with saving the lives of 192 children nationwide.

— Written for broadcast by Andy Cohen

— Edited for the webby Miguel Martinez