Mounties in Alberta are defending their decision not to issue an Amber Alert over a missing B.C., boy, despite the fact the suspected abduction happened just 20 minutes from its border.
The B.C.-wide alert for Kienan Hebert remained in effect Friday, three days after the boy was discovered missing from his Sparwood home in southeastern B.C.
Police believe the young boy is with convicted sex offender Randall Hopley, but there have been no credible sightings of the 46-year-old.
B.C. Mounties didn't issue an Amber Alert for nine hours after Kienan's disappearance and that warning was never extended to Alberta despite Hopley's numerous criminal convictions there.
But even though the has not been a formal Alberta alert, residents in Crowsnest Pass – just a 20-minute drive from Sparwood – are getting the word out on their own.
"We're in shock about the alert in B.C. not carried over here," said resident Joey Ambrosi.
"People put things up on doors and windows and made everybody aware of what's going on."
Alberta Mounties admit there's a possibility the criminal could have come into the province.
"That's not to say he is here, simply that he has some connection here and it's possible he may have come to this province," said Alberta RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb.
B.C. Mounties confirm that they never asked for the alert to be activated in Alberta, but argue that the intense media coverage there had the same effect.
"It's important to note, by default, agencies and media in Alberta did go into their protocol and disseminating the info and it's very similar to if Amber Alert was officially activated," said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
Police officers across Canada were given a bulletin but it's up to each individual jurisdiction to issue an Amber Alert.
"It has to be a child or an adult with mental deficiency. It has to be a good description of the victim so people could recognize the victim or abductor. There has to be some danger to the individual," said Webb.
The case appears to easily qualify for an Alberta Amber Alert. Mounties say there will be a review, but the focus for now is finding Kienan.
"What's important to note is that there's a missing child, there are a tremendous amount of resources put into place," said Moskaluk.
The Amber Alert tool has been used 10 times since its inception in 2004. Of the 13 children involved, 10 were recovered safely in B.C. and three were recovered outside the province.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jina You
