National Missing Children’s Day: Local law enforcement give advice to parents

In addition to Monday being Memorial Day, it also served as National Missing Children’s Day.   

According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, more than 450,000 children under the age of eighteen were reported missing in 2014.

In an effort to address this issue, the National Crime Prevention Council has teamed up with Alert I.D., a free online program and app that shows crime alerts in your neighborhood, as well as where local crime and sex offenders live.

Sergeant Wade Alexander with the Delmar Police Department tells 47 ABC they recommend  this app to parents.

Other tips to keep your children safe include making sure your child knows important phone numbers, addresses, and their guardian’s name if they get lost.

However, he says in the case of an abduction, there is one important message he wants to send to children.

Sergeant Alexander continues, “That is to fight, to yell, to scream, to kick. Statistics have shown that eighty- five percent of children have gotten away because they’re yelling, screaming, fighting, resisting, and pulling away from their potential abductor.”

Sergeant Alexander says if you believe your child is missing at any point contact your local police department immediately.