News: Long Island Searches for Missing Teen
(Long Island, N.Y.) A sixteen-year-old girl from North Bellmore was reported missing and a Silver Alert has been issued to aid in her recovery. The girl was last seen at around six yesterday evening near Lincoln Boulevard in Bellmore. Police and authorities who have been conducting the search urge anyone with information to call anonymously on the Crime Stoppers hotline.
The sixteen-year-old is Caucasian and four-feet-eleven-inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and flip-flop sandals. She can be distinguished by scars on both of her arms. She had been traveling by foot to an unknown destination.
At least one witness responded to the alert by claiming that a vehicle with an out-of-state license plate was seen driving suspiciously in the area. Though such information can often be considered less than substantial, police and authorities on the case stress the importance of coming forward with even the most minor details. In many cases it’s the information that has been deemed unsubstantial that aids in a rediscovery.
In one year’s time an estimated fifty-five persons have been issued on the Silver Alert throughout the country. Such an alert is like the Amber Alert, which deals with missing or abducted children, and results in an immediate search. Reports have stated that the speed of the search depends on the amount of information about the last known whereabouts of the missing person, and that the search often goes faster when more information is available.
According to one source, the Silver Alert requires the search of a missing person of any age who is dealing with dementia or cognitive impairment. Also, a missing persons report must be filed by the subject’s legal guardian. The local law enforcement agency must file the report with the state.
A website that features a weekly television program for missing persons claims that the show has led to the reunion of over six-hundred individuals with their families. In addition to working with local, state, and federal law enforcement, the program deals closely with the FBI and National Center for Exploited and Missing Children. It handles the cases of both children and adults.
Some of the cases featured on the program include kidnappings, runaways, and family abductions. The website informs viewers that thousands of people across the country are reported missing each week. It also informs of local television/radio stations and networks that air the show. It provides quick links to their websites for residents in a variety of counties.
The website also includes a long list of success stories and a video message from the president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He labels children as a precious resource that constitutes the most vulnerable sector of society. He asks for help and for those with information to call 1-800-LOST. Through the use of photo distribution, one in six children featured have been recovered.
