Missing child alerts on your feed Gardai hope social media will help find kids ‘at serious risk’
YESTERDAY
GARDAI are to use social media in a bid to track down missing kids when they are in serious danger, it was announced yesterday. Child Rescue Ireland alerts – already on radio, TV, online and electronic road signs – will be rolled out to Facebook’s Newsfeed.
It’s hoped people will share information on suspected abductors quickly among their friends, family and comunities.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan welcomed the move. He added: “The extent of Facebook’s reach means its ability to swiftly communicate these critical CRI Alerts to a significant portion of the national population is unparalleled.” Gardai will use the following criteria to determine whether or not to issue a CRI alert online:
■ There is a reasonable belief the child has been abducted
■ There is a reasonable belief that there is an immediate and serious risk to the health or welfare of a child, and
■ There is sufficient information available to enable the public to assist An Garda Siochana in locating the child.
Garda Assistant Commissioner John O’driscoll said: “When a child is abducted and in danger, an extra pair of eyes can make all the difference.
“Since it was launched in 2012, our Child Rescue Ireland (CRI) Alerts already reach a big audience but now that they can be sent through Facebook, even more people will participate in the search, which significantly increases the chances of bringing the child back home safely.” And Facebook’s Director of Trust and Safety Emily Vacher added: “The launch today shows the determination of gardai to increase the reach of Child Alert Ireland.
“We know when a child is abducted, the most valuable thing we can do is get information out to the public as fast as possible. “By getting the right information to the right people at the right time through CRI Alerts on Facebook, we hope to reunite children with their families faster.”
The most valuable thing we can do is get information out to public as fast as possible EMILY VACHER