WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are nearly 800,000 children missing each year; and
WHEREAS, On average, there are 2,185 children reported missing to law-enforcement agencies daily; and
WHEREAS, 58,200 of these children are victims of non-family abductions and more than 200,000 are the victims of family abductions; and
WHEREAS, From January 1, 2006 to May 5, 2006 there were 662 missing or abducted children in the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children exists as a resource to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families and the professionals who serve them; and
WHEREAS, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has assisted law-enforcement in the recovery of 96% of these cases; and
WHEREAS, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children urges the participation of local government, law-enforcement, schools, community based organizations, and families in the protection and education of all citizens about the threat of child abduction and sexual exploitation, appropriate protective measures, and ways to respond and seek help from law enforcement and social services; and
WHEREAS, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children participated in the City of Philadelphia’s first Missing Persons Awareness Conference held on November 5, 2005; and
WHEREAS, This special day is a time to remember those children, to give hope to their families and serve as a reminder that too many children remain among the missing; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize May 25, 2006 as National Missing Children’s Day in the City of Philadelphia and encourages all citizens to take 25 minutes to teach a child important, possibly life-saving, safety tips.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for continuing efforts to prevent the exploitation and abduction of children.
End