Missing children app- child rescue alert

hollydays

I know a lot will have seen this on tv this morning.

Download a smartphone app that sends details to your phone if I high risk child goes missing in your area.
https://www.childrescuealert.org.uk

danih

Mmmmmmm

i see the benefits.

Imagine if a vulnerable young child wanders away from carers, or a vulnerable teenage girl runs away from the local children's home, the alert comes to my phone, I see that very vulnerable child in my local shop. I can see that they are on their own, and nobody else close by seems to have got that alert on their phone. Maybe I like children in the worst possible way, I am every parents worst nightmare. I see that vulnerable child, that my phone app has just told me has no parent or guardian with them. I turn on my charm, and I take that child away with me, and not to a safe place . . . . .



(I'm a children's social worker)

danih

I'm sorry, but the idea of that app alert scares me so much more then it reassures me.

Annisele

That reminds me of the Samaritans' Radar app. Undoubtedly created with the very best of intentions, but not necessarily a good idea.

whitewing

At the same time though aren't the details all over the local radio etc and every police officer in the locality is aware and looking?

I thought it was similar to an amber alert in America ie triggered only by the police?

meritaten

danih wrote: »

Mmmmmmm

i see the benefits.

Imagine if a vulnerable young child wanders away from carers, or a vulnerable teenage girl runs away from the local children's home, the alert comes to my phone, I see that very vulnerable child in my local shop. I can see that they are on their own, and nobody else close by seems to have got that alert on their phone. Maybe I like children in the worst possible way, I am every parents worst nightmare. I see that vulnerable child, that my phone app has just told me has no parent or guardian with them. I turn on my charm, and I take that child away with me, and not to a safe place . . . . .



(I'm a children's social worker)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^exactly this! the first thing I thought was 'oh - and any peedo in the area could subscribe too. What idiot thought THIS a good idea'??????????
and I am not a social worker - just a nan!

hollydays

Child Rescue Alert

A partnership between the police, the media and the public to locate abducted children and bring them home safely.

Child_Rescue_Alert

The Child Rescue Alert (CRA) is modelled on America's highly successful AMVER Alert. The system is simple: as soon as a child is thought to have been abducted, the police alerts broadcasters. They in turn, interrupt their programmes with news flashes to galvanise the public's help in search of the children.

An Alert is activated only when it is feared that the abducted child (under 18 years old) is in imminent danger of serious harm or death and that there is sufficient information to enable the public to assist the police in finding the child. A dedicated number 0300 2000 333, donated by Cable and Wireless, is available for the public to call with information when an Alert is launched.

PACT has been campaigning for nearly 10 years for the Child Rescue Alert (CRA) system to be used by all police forces in the UK. It took until 2005 for the system to rolled out across most of the country. And another five years for a nationally co-ordinated system to be developed and compatible with other European Child Alert Systems. A major step in this direction was taken on 25 May 2011 when the government announced that police responsibility for all missing and abducted children was being transferred to CEOP. As a result, CEOP is now responsible for the operation of Child Rescue Alert as well as for the Missingkids Website. It was activated by CEOP on a national basis for the very first time on 2 October, 2012 following April Jones' abduction. Then, in May 2014, a new version of the CRA was launched by the Home Secretary together with PACT's new Child Abduction Hub. Please sign up to help us bring our children home.

Background

Amber_Hagerman

In 1996, 9-year old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and brutally murdered in Arlington, Texas. Her tragic death had such a profound impact on her community that it prompted local police forces and broadcasters to develop the AMBER (America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response) Plan.
According to a US Department of Justice study, 74% of children who were kidnapped and murdered, were killed within the first 3 hours of their abduction. This is why it is imperative for the police to act quickly and to enrol the public’s help as soon as possible.

Child Rescue Alert has the added value of sending a strong message that crimes against children will not go unpunished and that the police, broadcasters, NGOs, and the public will work together to apprehend predators.

danih

Mmmmm again.

The idea does have a lot of plus points including
- europe wide, co-ordinated focus on missing children
- idea hopefully will put potential offenders off
- reassures general public that these children are being looked for

I would worry about how much the public will know about that vulerable child, and what is the criteria for initiating this alert with a missing child. A Madeline MCCann scenario? - Great idea!
Local v vulnerable teenage girl, living in children's home who runs away a lot, and would be easy prey to dodgy characters. Would the alert be activated for her every time she runs away? Breaking her confidientiality, drawing attention to her vulnerability? If not, there could be an arguement of why not? Is she not as important as a girl who has gone missing just once from a "normal" family background?

In a v negative mood tonight - been a long day at work, and sometimes I focus too much on the potential drawbacks of these things. I will now withdraw from discussion - can argue this one around in circles, and probably best to keep the rest of this arguement to myself

meritaten

danih wrote: »

Mmmmm again.

The idea does have a lot of plus points including
- europe wide, co-ordinated focus on missing children
- idea hopefully will put potential offenders off
- reassures general public that these children are being looked for

I would worry about how much the public will know about that vulerable child, and what is the criteria for initiating this alert with a missing child. A Madeline MCCann scenario? - Great idea!
Local v vulnerable teenage girl, living in children's home who runs away a lot, and would be easy prey to dodgy characters. Would the alert be activated for her every time she runs away? Breaking her confidientiality, drawing attention to her vulnerability? If not, there could be an arguement of why not? Is she not as important as a girl who has gone missing just once from a "normal" family background?

In a v negative mood tonight - been a long day at work, and sometimes I focus too much on the potential drawbacks of these things. I will now withdraw from discussion - can argue this one around in circles, and probably best to keep the rest of this arguement to myself

I think you are not being negative. I can see problems with this - because its an 'alert' to people who subscribe. who 'vets' the subscribers? and why would ordinary people subscribe to this anyway? I wouldn't think of doing so. its a strange thing to do in my opinion.
if it was on all phone networks that a child was missing and they had a BOLO - then fair enough. but for only subscribers? nope.