NCJ Number
98919
Date Published
1984
Length
463 pages
Annotation
Law enforcement officials, an investigative reporter, and representatives of various organizations concerned with missing children testify on H.R. 4971, a Federal bill that would establish a resource center to assist in the search for missing children.
Abstract
H.R. 4971 would create a national center responsible for training and educating law enforcement officials in investigating cases of missing children. The center would also mount preventive educational programs for parents and children. Another function of the center would be the coordination of local law enforcement efforts in missing children investigations. Representatives of the Child Stealing Research Center (Los Angeles), Find the Children (Los Angeles), and the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center (Fort Lauderdale) support the legislation, based on the nationwide character of the problem and the jurisdictional and resource limitations of State and local law enforcement. The legislation is also supported as one effort to counter Reagan administration proposals to cut Federal funding for runaway programs. A Chicago law enforcement official notes the difficulty police have in dealing with the volume of cases of missing children and distinguishing between cases involving runaways and those involving kidnapping. Preventive education for parents and children is supported by all the witnesses. The appendix contains prevention materials, relevant newspaper and magazine articles, and a State legislative report on the sexual exploitation of children and youth.