Missing child text messages launch in County Durham
Durham Police have launched a new way of finding missing kids, by sending a text from school.
Durham Police have launched a new way of finding missing kids, by sending a text from school.
Last year 22 children, as young as three years old, were reported missing in Consett, Stanley and Chester-Le-Street alone.
However, police say that in many cases other parents hold vital information in the whereabouts of missing children.
Over 225 primary schools across County Durham will send a text message to all parents if contacted by police, just like you’d get if the school had to close for the day, to see if they can help.
Once the child is located a further message will be sent to parents to let them know.
PSCO Marie Garfoot thought up the idea after a child went missing in 2014. Police deployed all available officers and the 10 year old returned home oblivious to the search. She had become friends with another child at school and her parents did not know about the friendship.
PSCO Marie Garfoot said:
“It could be a case of a child being abducted, in that respect we need to get the message out very quickly. Or it could be that a child has gone to play by the river. You just don’t know. You just want to make sure that you’re safeguarding the child and getting them back home quickly.”
“I am looking forward to seeing the results from this. I really do hope that it works; I can’t think why it wouldn’t. We’ve got the education authority, the schools on board so that’s brilliant. You never know, if it’s something that’s successful in the County Durham area then maybe in the future it could go national.”
Marie believes the new system could be lifesaving and help tackle more serious issues such as child abduction and child sexual exploitation. She continued:
“The children are very vulnerable at that age Age three to 11. Child sexual exploitation to the NSPCC in the last year has increased by 270%. That’s a massive figure and I know that these incidents are becoming more and more alarming”
Here's a copy of the letter going out to parents today: