Police say Highway Patrol denied request for Amber Alert in missing Springfield child case

Update: Police say they have located her safely.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol on Tuesday denied a request by the Springfield Police department for an Amber Alert for a missing Springfield girl.

Springfield Police spokeswoman Lisa Cox said the department contacted the Highway Patrol in Jefferson City at 8 a.m. and asked that an Amber Alert be issued statewide for Rosalee Clark, 8, who had been missing since 12:41 a.m. and was last seen at an apartment in the 2300 block of North Bolivar Road.

"We did make that request and went through that process," Cox said shortly before 9 a.m. "Unfortunately they denied it. They said there was not enough suspect identification information for them to make that Amber Alert."

More:Springfield police looking for this missing 8-year-old

Cox said some of the Highway Patrol's requirements for issuing an Amber Alert include specific suspect information like a name, a description of the suspect or a vehicle license plate.

When an Amber Alert is issued, people get that notice on their cellphones and it's shared widely by media and other law enforcement agencies.  

Sgt. Jason Pace, Highway Patrol Troop D spokesman in Springfield, said the highway patrol was aware of the missing child and assisted in the search. But he said the Highway Patrol has a specific set of circumstances that must be met before an Amber Alert can officially be issued.

According to the patrol's Amber Alert web page, these are the criteria that must be met to activate an Amber Alert in Missouri:

• Law enforcement must confirm a child has been abducted.
• The child must be age 17 years or younger.
•  Law enforcement must believe the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death.
• There is enough descriptive information about the child, abductor, and/or suspect's vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help.