Belleville Police Department’s Chief of Police Joseph P. Rotunda has formalized an agreement with the A Child is Missing Alert Program. That has led to a high tech method now in place to search locally for missing children, missing elderly (often with Alzheimer’s), college students, and missing person who may be mentally or physically challenged or disabled.
Effective Feb, 1, 2012 upon receipt of missing persons calls, the Belleville Police Dept. will make its f irst phone call to a toll-free number that rings in Ft. Lauderdale Fl. – the national headquarters of the A Child is Missing Alert Program.
The call, answered around the clock by an information and mapping technician, initiates a rapid process of information gathering and use of sophisticated mapping systems. A Child is Missing then launches potentially thousands of calls within minutes with an alert message detailing the missing person’s description, last known whereabouts and pertinent information. This alert message will also include a Belleville Police Department phone number for use by anyone with information relating to the missing person.
This program is a free service to law enforcement. Belleville officials will evaluate each potential activation of the A Child is Missing Alert Program to ensure the application is appropriate to the case and to ensure the system is optimally used.
Phone numbers that are called by the program include listed numbers and mobile numbers available to ACIM in the selected area. Mobile numbers, unlisted numbers, broadband/voiceover IP numbers, or TDD/ TTY devices can be added to ensure that they, too, are called in the event of an alert. To enter your cell phone, unlisted, broadband/ voice-over IP or TDD/TTY device number visit www. achildismissing.org and click on “add your name” to enter your name, number and address. This information will only be used for emergency message alerts.
