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 NCMEC¹s 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 ³Katrina Missing Persons² graphic on
NCMEC¹s homepage at www.missingkids.com.
In addition to the U.S. Department of Justice¹s 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 NCMEC¹s 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.
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