BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Brown County has taken steps towards helping Missing and Exploited Children
Armed with information, knowledge and resources gained through a partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Brown County Public Safety Communications staff members have been trained and equipped with resources to tackle a growing national problem.
County Safety Communications Supervisor Tracy Ertl says “every 40 seconds nationwide, we have a child go missing, but then we have another half million across the country that go missing that people are not even bothering reporting.”
Ertl says the partnership means Brown County is one of five Public Safety Answering Points in the State, and they are one of 279 Missing Kids Readiness Program Agencies in the USA.
“It means that our law enforcement agencies, along with Brown County Public Safety Communications are working in unison to try to protect the kids in our community.”
The number of missing children reported nationwide is high, but Brown County is now in better position to be effective when a child’s life is at stake.
“To try to recover them more quickly when they go missing, and provide overall safety for our children and our families.
Ertl said numbers are high in runaways and human trafficking.
“If that child is abducted by a stranger, 80 percent of the time that child is gone within 24 hours
While the County has taken the steps to fill their tool belt with the tools needed to assist a child whose life may be at stake, Ertl says it really comes down to communication.
“Many of these cases go unreported, so what we need from the public is not to wait to call. Parents are sometimes in denial or they are embarassed to report it. We need them to pick up the phone and call as soon as they are missing.”
Ertl said the goal is to deploy resources to keep kids and families safe.
The Missing Kids Readiness Program is designed to help respond to calls of missing, abducted and sexualy exploited children.
To meet requirements, Brown County Public Safety Communications worked with the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and had staff members complete online training.
To learn more about NCMEC and the Missing Kids Readiness Program, go to http://www.missingkids.org/MKRP
