NASHVILLE, Tenn. — State lawmakers said the system the TBI has in place for AMBER Alerts doesn’t apply to all situations.
The TBI, lawmakers, and family of Noah Clare are now working together to change the criteria with a new piece of legislation called “Noah’s Law”.
State lawmakers said the TBI realizes it’s hard for an AMBER Alert to be issued when a child is taken by their biological parents. The TBI said they are also trying to sharpen their response.
The reunion between Noah Clare and his mother, Amanda Ennis, in California last year, was one Adam Ennis, Amanda’s brother, will never forget.
“We knew every day was precious,” said Adam Ennis. “I mean every day that passed by, that was another state he could get away.”
Ennis said because it took the TBI 11 days to issue an AMBER Alert for Noah Clare after he was taken by his father, Jacob Clare, they took it upon themselves.
“We were posting the story left and right,” Adam Ennis recalled. “Calling all news agencies like yourself, trying to get influencers to post it on their story. And, luckily, that’s how our friend out in California saw Noah.”
For the TBI to issue an AMBER Alert, four pieces of criteria must be met. One of those is that a child must be in imminent danger of bodily injury or death.
“That last piece of the AMBER Alert was so hard to get – that imminent danger piece,” Adam Ennis said.
State Representative Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) is the lawmaker pushing the bill called “Noah’s Law”. It says if a non-custodial parent doesn’t return a child to a custodial parent in 48 hours, a judge can say that child is in danger and law enforcement can issue an AMBER Alert.
“Most of the time, there may not be a custodial case that’s filed, that’s already in front of a judge,” said Rep. Garrett. “In Noah’s case, this was already pending before the judge. So, we are one step closer.”
Noah’s family and lawmakers said Noah was in imminent danger because there was no communication from Jacob Clare in 24 hours.
“Any father who is going to take his child away from his mother forcefully like that and go across the country is – you know, he’s a danger to himself and whoever he’s with,” Adam Ennis said.
The legislation will be presented to committees in the next few weeks.