In excess of 800,000 children are reported missing each year according to a study from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Most are only temporarily lost or separated from their parents or guardian. Unfortunately, as a parent you don’t know until it may be to late whether they are instead a victim of an abduction or have fallen prey to a sex offender.
The following account is from an email we received courtesy of a relieved mother.
As parents we were always so paranoid about our children’s safety and very vigilant. When I was away with some of them and the others were with my husband was always nervous because Mommy’s are just so much more attuned to things. Actually when we moved to Florida, I flew ahead with two of our children and my husband drove 3 weeks later with our other sons and daughter. They stopped to sight see along the way and one place was the Alamo. My husband said one minute our daughter was right next to him and the next minute “poof” she was gone. He couldn’t find her anywhere and the place went into a panic. They were so close to the border, he could just imagine her being smuggled to Mexico and that would be it, he’d never see her again. She was 6 years old. Eventually they did find her in front of an exhibit, hidden by much taller adults, not worried at all.
The whole experience was terrifying for him though and he has never forgotten the feeling of thinking your child is missing.
The Child Alert Center Charities airs weekly broadcasts on local cable TV, display posters of missing children, interviews with family members and safety tips from law enforcement.
This is the start of the college football season and Labor Day weekend. As you gather with family and friends, it would be an ideal time to help promote the CAC-Charities.
Our mission is to save a child’s life. This will be accomplished by:
• Increasing public awareness of children reported missing every day in our communities.
• Educating the public on children safety issues to decrease child abduction opportunities.
Take some photos or produce 15-30 second videos holding a sign which reads:
“Give a Little, Save a Life”
Your help would be very much appreciated. Have some fun, show your school spirit, wear your team’s color and be creative but do keep in mind the goal of the CAC-Charities. Have you considered taking pictures while tailgating or at the games as you will already be in your teams apparel? There is always a camera available. Be the first to issue a challenge to other schools or rivals.
Six degrees of separation is the theory that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances with no more than five intermediaries.
Many of you have played the game 6 degrees of separation poularized recently by people finding links to actor Kevin Bacon. When a child is missing, it no longer is a game trying to connect the dots to the abductor. An abductor may be an acquaintance, a neighbor or stranger who has been following the child waiting for an opportunity. This makes it almost impossible to prevent an abduction. The best advice is to educate your child as to potential danger.
There are some great tips in the book, “Parents, Predators and Prevention”.
“Parents, Predators and Prevention” is an affordable easy to read, easy to understand, and practical book that gives your child the best chance for survival. Educate your children on what to do when they are confronted by a predator.
Today marks the second anniversay of Trenton Duckett’s disappearance. Trenton was last seen in the area of Lady Lake Saturday afternoon. He was last seen wearing a shirt, blue denim shorts, and no shoes. Anyone seeing Trenton’s mother, or her vehicle in the vicinity of the Ocala National Forest or the Orlando area on Saturday or Sunday 08/26/2006 or 08/27/2006 is urged to call. Trenton is biracial; he is Asian and white.
“We look into all kinds [of leads], but psychics and ‘I-think-I-might-have-seen-him-here-or-on-TV,’ that’s the type we’ve been getting for about the last year or so,” Leesburg police Maj. Steve Rockefeller said.
How many lives are affected when a child is missing? Our thoughts often instinctively turn to the parents or immediate family. In some cases there is little information about other siblings, or extended family.
Have you ever considered how their disappearance can impact the lives of many? If you haven’t, just spend some time speaking with thier parents or grandparents. Sadly, as time goes on, many of the missing children are forgotten. The tremendous burden to find them is left solely to their families and friends. How would you maintain hope? How would you keep search efforts alive after hours turn into days, months and years?
Child Alert Center Charities is a 501(c) 3 not for profit organization, founded in January of 2008 that focuses on children’s well being by promoting safety and bringing awareness to the public in the event they should go missing. Our 30 minute program broadcasts on local cable TV, displays posters of missing children, interviews with family members and safety tips from law enforcement.
Recently, in speaking with the mother of a missing adult, she described this heart wrenching comment by his 5-year-old nephew. At a rally for support for their continued search efforts, the little boy had this to say, “I miss my Uncle Austin.”
Today is John Patrick Rowan’s 42 nd birthday. While it normally would be a cause for celebration, he won’t be attending any surprise parties. John went missing under suspicious circumstances seven years ago. The family instead is left with many unanswered questions and continues to seek justice for John.
Mystery of missing Kildare man
Monday, 11 February 2002
The Irish Examiner reported the story of John Rowan (34), originally from Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, who left his wife Caroline and their two children at the family home in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 23 last year and hasn’t been seen since. His van was found near Orlando airport a month later but the family believe that he has been murdered. Mr Rowan had his own construction business and what baffles the family is that ten months before he disappeared he removed his wife and children as beneficiaries of a $3m life insurance policy and inserted the names of his two former business partners, Ray and Mike Itani. The Itanis refuse to discuss the matter with the police.
John Rowan
Missing Since: February 23, 2001 from Jacksonville, Florida Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: August 25, 1966 Age: 34 years old Height and Weight: 5′9 – 5′11, 220 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Black hair, blue eyes. Rowan had a moustache at the time of his 2001 disappearance. He has an appendectomy scar. Rowan has scars on his chest and abdomen as the result of exploratory surgery. He is an Irish citizen. Clothing/Jewelry Description:A wedding ring with three imbedded diamonds. Medical Conditions: Rowan has been diagnosed with high blood pressure. He requires medication to regulate his condition.
There is a substantial reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the person or persons involved in his death is now $200,000.
Anyone with any information about the disappearance of John Rowan Jr. can call Sgt. Jim Parker of the Sheriff’s Office’s cold-case squad at (904) 630-1157. You could be eligible for a $200,000 reward.
There is an initiative, funded by a grant awarded by the National Institute of Justice, in West Virginia to have a picture taken annually when your child starts school which is stored in the event they become a missing child.
AmberView® mass broadcasts a digital picture of a missing or abducted child to law enforcement, news media, and citizens within minutes of an official AMBER Alert – effectively putting thousands of people across an entire region on alert.
With parental consent, a child’s digital picture is captured each year on School Picture day and stored, along with updated biographical information, in a secure database accessible only by the West Virginia State Police AMBER Alert Coordinator.
At first glance it appears to be a terrific idea not unlike the Child Alert Center. The site has a short film (video) describing a missing child abduction. In the film the presenter makes two interesting statements:
“Next to the actually abductor time is a missing child’s greatest enemy”
“What was your child wearing, a parent can’t provide an accurate biographical description of their child.”
Watching it, two questions may need to be answered.
What if my child’s appearance changes over the course of the year?
What if an AMBER Alert isn’t issued?
Alaska and Vermont issued their first AMBER Alerts on June 21, 2008 and on June 27, 2008 respectively. How many AMBER Alerts have been issued in your state? For an Alert to be issued, it has to meet specific criteria:
Each state AMBER Alert plan has its own criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts. The PROTECT Act, passed in 2003, which established the role of AMBER Alert Coordinator within the Department of Justice (DOJ), calls for DOJ to issue minimum standards or guidelines for AMBER Alerts that states can adopt voluntarily. DOJ’s guidance on criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts is:
Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place
The child is at risk of serious injury or death
There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor’s vehicle to issue an alert
The child must be 17 years old or younger
It is recommended that immediate entry of AMBER Alert data be entered in FBI’s National Crime Information Center. Text information describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the child should be entered, and the case flagged as Child Abduction.
Most state’s guidelines adhere closely to DOJ’s recommended guidelines.
Nearly 800,000 children are reported missing every year yet less than 300 annually have qualified for an Amber Alert since its inception. In fact, 90% of the 311 AMBER Alert recoveries have occurred since the AMBER Alert became a nationally coordinated effort in 2002.
There were 275 Alerts issued nationwide in 2005, falling to 262 in 2006 and 227 in 2007.
Please take a moment to send photos and/or a 15-30 second video holding a sign which reads:
“Give a Little, Save a Life”.
Your help would be very much appreciated. Have some fun and be creative but do keep in mind the goal of the CAC Charities. Look for us to add some prizes for most creative or most viewed with details to follow. Any suggestions just email us.
To post them please become a Fan on FaceBook and upload them at:
Anyone with any information about the disappearance of John Rowan Jr. can call Sgt. Jim Parker of the Sheriff’s Office’s cold-case squad at (904) 630-1157. You could be eligible for a $200,000 reward.
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