[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 63 (Thursday, May 16, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF ``A CHILD IS MISSING''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW, JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2002

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I have recently come into contact with ``A 
Child Is Missing,'' a public/private partnership founded by Sherry 
Friedlander and sponsored by several prestigious organizations such as 
the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Police Chiefs Association, 
among others. I am proud of the people of Florida and their support for 
this organization, and its service to the general public and the law 
enforcement community of my home state.
  A Child Is Missing is an organization currently working in the state 
of Florida, whose purpose is to aid the law enforcement authorities to 
locate missing children, elderly, and people with disabilities. Their 
mode of work: once a report has been filed of a missing child, elderly, 
or person with disabilities, the law enforcement agency may call ``A 
Child Is Missing'' and give the specifics of the case. Within the hour, 
``A Child Is Missing'' calls and relays an automatic phone message to 
phone numbers located within the area where the person was last seen. 
The phone message gives a description of the person, informs of their 
disappearance, and provides the phone number of the closest law 
enforcement agency in the area.
  ``A Child Is Missing's'' technology is state of the art, their mode 
of operation simple and impressively fast. Their degree of 
effectiveness is so high that in a five-year period their radius of 
action has increased from a local to a state level, and they are 
currently trying to make their systems operate nationwide.
  It is therefore no surprise to me that police Chief Edward Morley has 
said, speaking of the case of a missing boy, ``The role of `A Child Is 
Missing' was instrumental in reuniting him quickly with his family.''
  I applaud the founders, sponsors and workers of ``A Child Is 
Missing.'' They have given us an opportunity to help the community, and 
this is why I am a supporter of this initiative. I look forward to 
seeing this Florida initiative expanded nationwide.

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