| Press
Release
NATIONAL HOTLINE TO LOCATE MISSING HURRICANE VICTIMS ESTABLISHED
Katrina Missing Persons Hotline, 1-888-544-5475, Will Go Live
at
12:00 Noon (Eastern) on Monday, September 5
ALEXANDRIA, VA - September 4, 2005 - The U.S. Department
of Justice has asked the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
(NCMEC) to set up a coordinated missing persons process to locate and
reunite Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
NCMEC staff is working through the weekend and will have the Katrina Missing
Persons Hotline, 1-888-544-5475, operational at 12:00 Noon Eastern time
on Monday, September 5, 2005. Photographs, names, and physical descriptions
of missing adults, missing children, and found children from hurricane-stricken
areas will be posted to NCMEC's web site at www.missingkids.com.
NCMEC has also deployed representatives – retired law enforcement
officers – from its Team ADAM and Project ALERT programs to the
states affected to assist families with their missing persons reports.
The representatives will also provide technical resources to facilitate
the transfer of photographs and other data to NCMEC’s headquarters
in Alexandria, Virginia.
NCMEC is urging media to air the missing persons flyers to aid in the
reunification efforts. Viewers may access the information on missing persons
and found children by clicking on the “Katrina Missing Persons”
graphic on NCMEC’s homepage at www.missingkids.com.
In addition to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, NCMEC is working in cooperation with
the network of state missing child clearinghouses, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, and other state and local law enforcement agencies.
With these partners, NCMEC will also be assisting with the identification
of unidentified deceased victims. Images of the unidentified decedents
will be digitally-enhanced in an effort to create the best likeness that
can be shown to the public to aid in positive identifications of victims.
Long-time corporate partners of NCMEC’s are providing valuable
equipment and services to aid in this effort. Digital cameras and scanners
are being supplied by Canon U.S.A. At the request of the parent or guardian,
Lifetouch National School Studios will be providing school photographs
of children, as possible, if no photograph is available of a missing child.
Sprint Nextel Corporation has equipped the Team ADAM and Project ALERT
representatives with cellular technology. NCMEC is grateful for the support
of these private sector partners and for the dedicated volunteers who
will be answering the Katrina Missing Persons Hotline.
Team ADAM and Project ALERT are made up of specially-trained retired law
enforcement personnel who are available to assist law enforcement agencies
in missing child and child sexual exploitation cases.
About the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting
mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 340,000
leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement
with more than 116,000 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery
of more than 94,000 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its
toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit www.missingkids.com.
CONTACT:
Communications Department
NCMEC
703-837-6111 |
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