CODE ADAM Celebrates its 3rd Anniversary

CODE ADAM Celebrates its 3rd Anniversary
Press Release TEAM ADAM CELEBRATES THREE YEARS OF PROVIDING RAPID RESPONSE AND SUPPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND FAMILIES OF MISSING CHILDREN “Team Adam” Credited with Key Role in Helping to Recover and Reunite Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina January 30, 2006 – Washington, DC – Three years ago the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) launched Team Adam, an on-site rapid response and support system that assists law enforcement agencies in child abduction and missing children cases nationwide. Team Adam was created with the help of a $3 million grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Today Team Adam celebrates its third year of operations, having assisted law enforcement 212 times in 42 states and aiding in the recovery of 218 children. Team Adam also played a key role in NCMEC’s effort to locate and recover over 4,700 children missing or displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Team Adam is named after Adam Walsh, the abducted and murdered son of NCMEC co-founders John and Revé Walsh. Patterned after the National Transportation Safety Board, this initiative, with the cooperation of law enforcement, deploys retired law enforcement consultants directly to the site of incidents where critical child abduction or sexual exploitation cases are unfolding. The program’s 57 consultants are seasoned officers with years of investigative experience at the Federal, state and local level. Team Adam has ratcheted-up the war on abductors, and attention has been drawn to the rapid response to these crimes. Combined with the national Amber Alert, Team Adam has truly made a difference. “Time is of the essence in the search for a missing child,” said Ernie Allen, NCMEC’s president and CEO. “The Team Adam program has not only proven itself by helping to recover 218 children, but also shown its commitment to the safety of children in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.” In response to a U.S. Department of Justice directive, NCMEC set up a coordinated process to locate and reunite Hurricane Katrina victims. Thirty Team Adam consultants were deployed to hurricane-stricken areas. The consultants worked closely with law enforcement and state agencies to locate missing children. To date, 95% of the more than 5,000 missing or displaced children have been resolved. Team Adam has benefited from a strong team effort, working with police departments, sheriffs’ offices, and state and federal law enforcement agencies in the challenging search for missing or abducted children. The rapid deployment of investigative and technical resources to compelling missing child investigations exhibited by Team Adam is supported by the recent development of Child Abduction Response Teams at the state and federal levels. These resources are extremely valuable in protecting children and bringing perpetrators to justice. 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 365,600 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 117,100 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 99,500 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com. CONTACT: Communications Department NCMEC 703-837-6111 Email Alert

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