Police chiefs endorse new platform to find missing kids

TORONTO — A new alert system that police recently used to find two missing girls received endorsement from the country’s police chiefs on Thursday.

The system, known as the Child Search Network, allows police to put out information on a missing child via a website and smartphone app. Members of the public can then offer tips by clicking on the name or picture of the child.

Supt. Cliff O’brien, with Calgary police, called the network run by the non-profit Missing Children Society of Canada “super impressive.”

“The more people in our community that are looking instead of just the police, the better it is,” O’brien said. “It’s great that all law enforcement is going to come together with our communities to help rescue kids.”

The network aims to alert the public — especially those in a specific location — to missing children deemed at high risk, but who are not in the kind of imminent danger needed to trigger an Amber Alert.

The network began testing in September 2019, with just a few police services as early adopters.

Now, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police have given the system its blessing. The association is urging all police services across the country to adopt and implement the new network as a standard resource in all high-risk missing children investigations.

“Collaborative efforts like this are key to improving public safety,” said Chief Bryan Larkin, head of the police chiefs association.