OLYMPIA — Starting this week, all Washington State AMBER Alerts will appear on users’ Instagram feeds.

David Richey, Managing Director of the Western division for U.S. Scarlet Oak Strategies said in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald that this additional way of delivering AMBER Alerts will provide hundreds of thousands of daily users a way to help when a child goes missing in Washington.

Richey wrote that the new addition to Instagram will show AMBER Alerts with a photo and description of the missing person, along with a direct link to alert local law enforcement right from the app. He added this complements other AMBER Alerts, which people might see on their cell phones but which only show text descriptions.

When law enforcement activates an AMBER Alert, people in the designated search area will see it in their Instagram feed, wrote Richey. A photo, description, location of last sighting and other details will be provided to encourage people to alert any possible sightings to law enforcement. The alert can also be shared to further spread the word.

“When a child goes missing, it is crucial to share their photo and description as quickly as possible with community members in the close vicinity,” wrote Richey. “The U.S. Department of Justice AMBER Alert system is a critical tool in raising community awareness rapidly, leading to the successful recovery of more than 1,100 children since its founding in 1996, including dozens in Washington State alone.”