Amber Alerts can cause problems for some domestic violence victims

SALT LAKE CITY — Amber Alerts can cause problems for some victims of domestic violence, advocates warned ahead of the state’s test alert on Thursday.

There is a statewide Amber Alert test scheduled to take place Thursday between approximately 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. The alert will be broadcast across the state via mobile devices, TV, radio and highway message boards.

 

Alerts can notify abusers about secondary cell phones

Some victims of domestic violence own a second hidden phone for their safety.

“If your call log is being monitored, if your location is being monitored, if sometimes the phone is being taken away from you, some people feel that in order to stay safe and to stay connected they have access to a second unknown cell phone,” Kimmi Wolf, communications specialist with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, said.

These hidden phones can become a problem with Amber Alerts and other statewide tests, which can alert an abuser of the device.

Victims of domestic violence with these phones are encouraged to permanently disable statewide alerts.

“I would suggest that if you have concerns and you are keeping a secondary phone, you permanently disable those Amber Alerts,” Wolf said. ” … You will still be able to get them on the main phone, but there really is no reason for you to be receiving them on a second phone.”

“In this situation, if someone were to miss this testing alert— this testing knowledge— then that could be problematic if they don’t automatically have those turned off,” Wolf said.

How to turn off Amber Alerts

Statewide Amber Alerts can be turned off in notifications settings on Apple, Samsung, and Android devices.

“Someone can do a quick Google search on how to do that on their particular phone. People can also reach out to their cell phone carrier just to make sure that they are doing it properly.”

While she strongly suggests turning off alerts on secondary hidden phones, Wolf also believes alerts should remain on for primary phones.

“I think still getting these important public safety messages on the main phone is very common and very expected,” she said. “If they do want this information, they’re getting it on their main phone. They don’t need to have it on the secondary phone and risk the possibility of not getting this advanced notification and having it go off and alert the abuser.”

She said there is always a risk of secondary phones being found, and that victims of domestic violence should think of ways to explain the secondary phone if it is discovered.

There is no way to turn off national emergency alerts.

Domestic violence resources

If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available.

• The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
• Resources are also available online at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website.
• YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
• Utah’s statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233