NJ Police Departments Shown Florida Organization's Auto-Dialing Program For Missing Kids
MT. LAUREL, N.J. (CBS) - Some police and law enforcement officials in New Jersey were introduced today to a nationwide alert program called "A Child is Missing." It's designed to help find missing people -- including, children, teens, and the elderly with dementia.
The "Child is Missing" alert is different from an "Amber" alert, says Sherry Friedlander, who started the "A Child Is Missing" organization 14 years ago.
"An Amber alert has certain criteria," she says. "Number one, you have to know the license plate of the car, a description of the car, suspected violence incurred, and a description of the child."
Friedlander says oftentimes people don't have all that information, and that's where "A Child is Missing" steps in.
Officers give the organization the information about the missing person and "A Child is Missing" then places phone calls to homes throughout the area. They can place up to 1,000 calls per minute and are available 24/7.
So far, the organization has worked on more than 200 cases in New Jersey. The program relies on private, state, and federal funding.
Reported by Suzanne Monaghan, KYW Newsradio 1060
