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LPS Partner for Missing Children Alert Social Media App

May 19, 2016 | 3:39 PM

LETHBRIDGE – When it comes to locating a missing child, according to Lethbridge Police Services every second counts.

That’s why LPS are collaborating with the Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) in an innovative social media app program designed to propagate missing child alerts to as many people as possible.

The approach is being dubbed as ‘Milk Carton 2.0’ by the MCSC.

“When a child goes missing every second counts,” said Staff Sgt. Scott Woods. “The first few hours are critical to their safe recovery and using technology can expand our search capacity in exponential ways.

Tricia Bailey, Chief Operating Officer for the Missing Children Society of Canada said while milk cartons and missing children’s posters of the past were effective, the timeliness of social media makes the social media and smartphone program exceptional.

“The power really comes when you’re able to connect with everyone in the community. We know that in Lethbridge when the police have asked for assistance from the public they have received it because there is that feeling of neighbourhood and family here,” she said. 

Bailey also praised the program for bridging the gap for alerting the public to missing children in instances where an Amber Alert hasn’t been issued.

“You might even have a stranger abduction that doesn’t meet Amber Alert threshold, but you still need to be able to, as a police force, engage the community. Finding a way to connect and having that means of connecting is what we’re supporting through this technology,” she said.

The Search Program, already used by various police departments across the country, is an emergency response network comprised of three distinct channels of engagement.

The first being MCSC’s partnership with Marketwired, a press release distribution service allowing for Critical Child Search Alerts to be instantly sent to thousands of media outlets.

Secondly, through “The Most Valuable Network,” the MCSC can notify users via Facebook and Twitter of Amber Alerts and Urgent Missing Child Alerts in their area.

Users can also ‘donate’ their social media feeds so all their friends will be engaged in the search.

Lastly, through the “World’s Most Valuable Instant Messaging Application,” individuals can connect directly with information about a missing child in their area utilizing their smartphone.

Similarly, for corporate partners “CodeSearch,” is a rapid response app that connects corporate partners and their employees with location-targeted push notifications and real-time news feeds.

May 25 marks National Missing Children’s Day and LPS and MCSC are encouraging southern Albertans to sign up for the program.

Individuals can get involved by joining the “Most Valuable Network” at http://mcsc.ca/search-program/most-valuable-network/ and by downloading BBM Channels on any smartphone device and join Missing Children Society of Canada, BBM Channel Number C0012598C.

Businesses and organizations wishing to get involved can become a CodeSearch partner.