For Immediate Release
| PR #: | 1400051 |
| Date Issued: | May 23, 2014 - 6:25am |
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Sheriff's Office asks you to "Take 25" on May 25th! |
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| CONTACT: | Bob Harmon Washoe County Sheriff's Office Office 775-785-6235 Cell 775-722-5517 |
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) wants to remind the public that National Missing Children's Day is May 25th.
The Sheriff's Office encourages parents to "Take 25" on May 25th.
"Take 25" is a campaign created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) that asks families, educators, and trusted adults to take 25 minutes to talk to children about safety. Created in honor of National Missing Children's Day which is annually recognized on May 25th, "Take 25" helps educate communities on safety risks and ways to better protect the children in their lives.
"Children are our communities' most precious resource; but our children often lack the skills to protect themselves" said Sheriff Mike Haley. "It's our responsibility, as a community, to protect our children and teach them the skills that can keep them safe." Talking to children about ways to stay safe is vital; keeping the dialogue going is even more critical. For topics and resources to help in that effort, including the Washoe County Sheriff's Office Children's Safety Activity book, go to www.washoesheriff.com and click on Staying Safe.
May 25th is the anniversary of the day in 1979 when 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from a New York street corner on his way to school and has been observed as National Missing Children's Day since 1983 when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan. Etan's story captivated the nation. His photo, taken by his father, a professional photographer was circulated nationwide and appeared in media across the country and around the world. The powerful image of Etan has come to symbolize the anguish and trauma of thousands of searching families. The search for Etan continues. He is still missing.
Currently, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office has two cold cases on two children who were last seen in 1983 and 1987. Anthony Bernard Franko was last seen in 1983 when he was 11 years old, and Jennifer Martin last seen in 1987 at age 11. The Sheriff's Office will never give up hope in finding our missing children.
The first 24-48 hours are the most important in locating a missing child. The Sheriff's Office has developed a comprehensive response system that allows us to immediately activate air and ground support including RAVEN, Search and Rescue, Patrol, Special Investigation Units, Reverse 911, AlertID and Citizen Corps to support the quick and timely recovery of a missing child.
In 2013, there were approximately 500,000 reports of missing children under the age of 18 reported nationally. The good news is that the majority of these children were recovered quickly. Even better news is that children and communities are fighting back. An analysis conducted by NCMEC of 8,000 confirmed attempted abductions showed that 51% of children walked or ran away and 32% took action to escape such as yelling, kicking, or pulling away. Even more inspiring, is that in 17% of these cases, a parent or another individual intervened to rescue the child.
Parents can also go to AlertID.com to sign up for "My Family Wallet" a simple and secure way to provide critical information to authorities about their children in the event of an emergency.
Note: Statistical Information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children- The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 3 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 160,000 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 1 million reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 49 million pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com. To learn more about Take 25, go to www.take25.org.
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.
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