Shank You he organizing committee of the C.S.C.U, Ladies Tournament would like to thank the following for their contribution to the success of our tournament. C.S.C.U. © Denny McArthur © Castlegar Pro Shop © Canadian Airlines ¢ Club Car ¢ Chang's Nursery ¢ LG.A. © Madelaine's Fashions ¢ C.LB.C © Madison Magique ¢ Safeway © Napa Auto Supplies ¢ Burndy ¢ Columbia Auto ¢ NRS ¢ Kay Jones © Mitchell Supply ¢ Bruce Palmer © Shoppers Drug Mart © Gough Electric ¢ Bill Zacher CRAGMONT COLAC 12x355 mL LUCERNE ICE CREAM 2 Litre PES ~ Xx DOUG FROFI LE The Castlegar Sun WEDNESDAY, June 29, 1994 A nightmare on any street | | t's every parents’ worst nightmare come true; their child is missing. Those of us who are parents shudder when we hear sto- ries about missing children. We pray that we will never have to face the sheer terror of where our child is or if he is safe. Yet in 1993 alone there were 55,904 cases of missing children added to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) in Ottawa. More specifically, that means there were enough children reported missing in 1993 to fill a city larger than Maple Ridge, B.C. whose population is 50,000. ~ It’s uncertain how many of those children were eventually able to find their way home because the registry is unable to tabulate how many cases remained outstanding on the system by the end of the year. The recent creation of a data base.will eventually allow the registry to analyze more specified statistical reports pertaining to missing children. The Missing Children’s Registry became opera- tional August 15, 1986 at RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa after it became sadly apparent that the issue of missing children needed to be dealt with on an urgent basis. Since 1986 the Registry has maintained and monitored files of all reported missing children in Canada as well as acting as a focal point for infor- mation and research reports. Linked directly to all Canadian police departments through CPIC, the Registry is the only National Clearinghouse for missing children within Canada and all foreign police departments through the National Crime Information Centre (NCIC), FBI and Interpol. Besides assisting in the investigation of missing children, the Registry also creates and maintains data and a photo repository on missing children; maintains and monito-s files; networks and pro- vides resource information to search and recovery agencies, the public and corporate sectors; main- tains and analyzes national data on the nature and scope of missing children; conducts investigative and original research to assist police both nation- ally and internationally; and produces resources for parents, children and police gleaned from their database. After seven years of operation the Registry has undergone many significant changes. Working in tandem with the RCMP and Canada Customs/Immigration Canada, International Pro- ject Retutn has been established. Most Canada Customs officers have recently been provided with compact disc players capable of providing photo imaging of children. With this new technology, disc players can be carried by customs officers at airports, land cross- ings, and ferry and bus terminals. Accessing pho- tographs and other characteristics of missing children is now a simple and quick precedure. As well, a Transportation Program has been cre- ated to assist families whose incomes have been depleted during their search for their child. It payis the cost of transporting the child back home. In its fourth year of operation the program has been instrumental in.reuniting found chil- dren with their parents. The Registry also conducts another, though much darker, function by providing assistance to law enforcement in identifying deceased children who are otherwise unidentifiable. Fingerprints and photo age enhancements, whereby photos of the child are computer aged to suggest what the child might look like years after the abduction, are also used as a tool in finding and identifying RCMP Corporal Al Hudema said that locally, children who go missing have usually run away, but cautions parents that time is still of the essence. “They better let us know right away. That way we stand a better chance of getting them back . ~ before they disappear into the city.” Although no one ever likes to imagine that they might one day have to access the services of the Registry, Dr. Marlene Dalley, Research and Programs Officer for the Registry said specific actions might help recover your child. © Stay calm Contact neighbors, friends, spouse, siblings and anyone who may know where your child might be. Invite a friend or acquaintance with a calm manner to be with you. © Conduct a telephone search. Call family, friends and relatives who may wish to help. Encourage them to use their telephones to make inquiry calls so your line will remain free for incoming calls. If you have to leave the house, have an answering machine on the line or have a friend or neighbor take incoming calls. © Have family and friends conduct a basic land search of the neighborhood while you are making a police occurrence report. With family and friends, try to recall the pre- sent and past few days of family sityations and activities (a recent argument or disciplinary action could be the reason for hiding). Provide police with information in a prepared identification kit. This kit should include updated clear pho- tographs, foot and fingerprints, birth certificate, medical history, passport, dental records, x-rays, child’s name and description including location of scars, birthmarks and any other identifiable data (glasses, braces, earrings, etc.). A videotape or a recent home video of the child may be made specifically for the kit. Try to keep a mental note of what your child is wearing each Although the statistics of missing children is grim, the number of missing children cases reported to police is on the decrease: In 1991 there was a decrease from 61,248 missing chil- dren reported to 59,135, and in 1992 there was «4 decrease to 56.672, while in 1993 that dropped to 55,908. We at The Castlegar Sun hope that your worst nightmare will never come true. Story by Karen Kerkhoff