May 12, 2008
Cincinnati, OH -- Congressman Steve Chabot was joined today by Patrolman Jeff Kilby of the Norwood Police Department and Sherry Friedlander, Founder & CEO of the non-profit group A Child is Missing (ACIM), at a press conference to encourage more local communities to participate in the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery program.
"With more than 2,000 children going missing each day, we cannot be vigilant enough when it comes to protecting our kids," said Chabot. "The first three hours after a child is reported missing are critical to a safe and successful recovery. While Amber Alert is one of the most beneficial resources available, it takes time to initiate. The Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Program fills this void, alerting and mobilizing communities immediately."
A Child Is Missing (ACIM) is a national non-profit organization that offers free assistance to law enforcement to aid in the recovery of missing persons -- including children, teens, and the elderly. When local police report a missing person, ACIM gathers all pertinent information about the missing subject and provides rapid telephone alerts to the surrounding community. The program utilizes the latest technology, including text messaging and satellite mapping, while placing 1,000 emergency phone calls every 60 seconds to residents and businesses in the area where the person was last seen.
To date, ACIM alerts have led to more than 330 recoveries, including several locally. The A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery program is the only one of its kind that assists in all missing person cases involving abduction, children who are lost, the elderly and mentally and physically challenged individuals. ACIM is an important compliment to the Amber Alert program, which is only activated in cases of child abduction.
"A Child Is Missing can be accessed from anywhere in the U.S. and is available to law enforcement 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year," Sherry Friedlander, Founder/CEO of ACIM, stated at the news conference. "This program has proven over the last decade to be a highly effective public-private partnership that not only saves lives, but also saves money."
Patrolman Jeff Kilby of the Norwood Police Department spoke about his personal experience using the A Child Is Missing alert program. In March of 2007, Patrolman Kilby responded to a report of a missing 9 year-old boy. Within minutes of ACIM placing calls to local residents, the police received a phone call from a person who knew the location of the child. As a result of this call, the boy was quickly found. Patrolman Kilby credited the A Child Is Missing system with aiding in the recovery of the child and said he believes ACIM is a useful tool for local law enforcement agencies.
Patrolman Jeff Kilby and A Chlid Is Missing Founder and CEO Sherry Friedlander join Congressman Chabot at a press conference to encourage more local communities to participate in the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery program.
Congressman Chabot is a co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus and is a co-sponsor of legislation that would enhance ACIM’s ability to locate missing persons. The A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center Act (H.R. 5464) would direct the Attorney General to make annual grants to the A Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center’s regional offices to assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in recovering missing children.