The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is recommending national standards for 911 operators. Bill Hinkle, Chairman of the task force that put the NCMEC report together, says too often there are critical delays.
“Recently a child called to report that his sister or brother had been abducted out of a car and the 911 operator didn’t take that call seriously, and in fact it was an abduction. There are a number of these kinds of calls where the 911 operator’s actions could have made a difference in the outcome of an event.”
A recent survey found that in 80 percent of child abduction homicides, law enforcement did not immediately recognize the child was in danger. To better equip 911 operators the National Center is issuing standards. NCMEC president Ernie Allen.
“These new standards urge 911 centers to assume risk until proven otherwise, to make sure that the appropriate legal requirements are met.”
That includes a list of questions to ask and an expedited path to an Amber Alert. Allen says speed is essential.
“We know that in 74 percent of the cases in which a child is abducted and murdered, the child is dead within the first three hours.”
Making the first contact the most important.
