May 25th Marks National Missing Children’s Day

Skagit County, WA – In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25th as National Missing Children’s Day. Each year, the U.S. Department of Justice commemorates Missing Children’s Day with a ceremony honoring the heroic and exemplary efforts of agencies, organizations, and individuals to protect children.

In Washington State, on average, there are 850 missing children. Of these, approximately 90% are runaway youth with the remaining falling into the parental abduction, stranger abduction or lost or otherwise missing categories. The Washington State Patrol (WSP) Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit (MUPU) has been designated as the State Missing Persons Clearinghouse and works with law enforcement and families to provide resources and information on missing adults and children.

The WSP MUPU publishes posters of missing children (at the request of families or law enforcement) to our website, wsp.wa.gov. The staff of the WSP MUPU also assist at outreach events to do child identification fingerprint kits and provide child safety information to the public. If you are interested in having MUPU staff at a public safety event in the future, please call 1-800-543-5678.

The MUPU advises parents, guardians and caregivers to report any child in their care as missing to local law enforcement immediately. There is NO waiting period to report a child missing. The child should be reported to the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in the area the child was last seen and can be reported by calling 911.

Law enforcement and Washington State Patrol MUPU would like to do whatever we can to ensure that every missing child is brought home safe. If you would like more information about the MUPU or to inquire about a missing child case please call 1-800-543-5678.

 

Written and Provided by: Carri Gordon,  Captain Monica Alexander and Sergeant  James Prouty, Government and Media Relations, Washington State Patrol