Victoria Stafford, 8, was abducted on April 8. (Handout/Canadian Press)

Ontario Provincial Police are reviewing their policy for Amber Alerts in the face of public criticism over the handling of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford's abduction in southern Ontario.

"To ensure that the Amber Alert program protects the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, the OPP has taken the initiative to coordinate the review of Ontario's Amber Alert," OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said in a news release.

Insp. Dave Ross told reporters that Victoria's disappearance was "a contributing factor" in the decision to launch the review, although he noted that the OPP do regularly review all their programs and policies.

Police faced a public backlash for not calling an Amber Alert when Victoria, known to her family and friends as Tori, went missing on her way home from school on April 8 in Woodstock. Two people have now been charged in connection with her abduction and murder, and search teams are hunting for her body.

Police have said repeatedly that they did not call an Amber Alert because Victoria's case did not fit the criteria.

For an Amber Alert to be triggered, police must believe a child under 18 has just been abducted, consider the child to be in danger of serious bodily harm, and have descriptive information of a suspect or vehicle.

In Victoria's case, Oxford Community Police, who initially led the investigation, considered Victoria a missing person. It was not until the provincial police came on board nine days later that her case was labelled an abduction.

Although police were told at about 6 p.m. on April 8 that Tori had gone missing, it was only the next day that security videos were analyzed and revealed that an unidentified woman had led the girl away from her school.

Petition draws 26,000 signatures

More than 26,000 people have signed an online petition, called Tori's Law, calling on the provincial government to revisit the criteria for an Amber Alert. The petition was started by a Toronto resident.

Ontario Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci said Tuesday at Queen's Park that he's not opposed to having another look at the Amber Alert program to see if it can be improved.

"We want the strongest possible alert mechanism in place, so I look forward to the findings of the review … at the end of the day it's all about ensuring the safety of all children," said Bartolucci.

The minister wouldn't comment on whether he thinks the police should have issued an Amber Alert for Victoria.

Police have charged 28-year-old Michael Rafferty with the first-degree murder and abduction of Tori and his girlfriend, 18-year-old Terri-Lynne McClintic, with abduction and as an accessory.