uk.missingkids.com - History
When a child goes missing it touches a nerve in all of us. When it happens
to your child, the effect can be devastating. This happened to a family in America and they were appalled to find that the
police had no easy way to send a picture of their son quickly between forces. Tragically, their son was later found dead.
However, the story and
the problems around it came to the notice of Charles B. Wang the Chairman of Computer Associates. He realised the potential
of the new internet technology to solve this problem. So, from this tragic start, missingkids.com was born.
The UK Missing Children's
Web site is dedicated to help reunite missing children with their families.Support for and promotion of the web site is provided
by Parents & Abducted Children Together (PACT), an associate of the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC).
The web site is the only Internet site containing details of missing children approved
for this use by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office.
The web site is a tool
designed to aid law enforcement agencies and other authorised organisations in the safe recovery of missing and/or exploited
children. The site has support from a number of UK charities and organisations and links to advice on child safety and safe
use of the Internet by children.
With access to the Internet
available to so many, this technology was the first use of the Internet as an investigative tool by UK police forces. This
site is intended to add value to current systems such as the Police National Computer, the National Missing Persons Bureau
at New Scotland Yard and other organisations' databases.
The key added value of
this site is that a photograph is now available to Police and Public alike to assist in finding missing children. Using the
site's technology, posters of missing children can be produced easily and quickly for distribution.
The web site has already
assisted in the recovery of many children since its launch in 1998. Through in-built translation technology, cases of international
abduction can be placed on the site in English but read worldwide and posters produced in the local law enforcement agency's
language.
Computer Associates,
who hosts the website, has donated world-class technology and on-going services to ensure the pervasive web presence of childrens'
details. CA's Advantage Ingres database and Advantage application server, as well as CA's Unicenter systems management software
are instrumental in providing this website with the ability to show an online database of UK missing children worldwide.
Timetable of the development of the web site in the United Kingdom
|
Date |
Key Event |
Comments |
|
|
Presentation of the concept at New Scotland Yard |
Recommendation to Head of SO3(3):
The system which is being offered would clearly
be of benefit, not only to the MPS but to all United Kingdom forces. It is a very professional and well managed site, which
will be particularly useful when attempting to locate wards of court who have been taken out of the country |
|
|
ACPO Review of missing persons issues on behalf
of Peter Sharpe, CC Hertfordshire |
Need for image capability part of recommendations |
| June – Dec 98 |
Negotiations for pilot of web site |
|
|
|
Launch of trial use of web site |
Hertfordshire and Metropolitan forces only involved.
Positive media coverage in national press. |
|
|
10,000 visits to site per week
Report author joins project |
High publicity case featured |
|
|
Trial completed – authorisation for national
implementation. |
Regional concept agreed because:
- Work spread between several forces
- Local ownership in regions
- Ease of quality control
- Minimise training needs
- Interim step to full coverag
|
|
|
gional choices for hub forces contacted |
Hub choices based on IT development, size of force
and personal networks of CC Sharpe. |
|
|
First new hubs brought on line |
Staffordshire and South Yorkshire |
|
|
Hub network agreement complete for all regions |
Hertfordshire to cover East and South East |
|
|
National media launch at CA HQ |
Timed to coincide with media launch of new European
HQ.
Intensive national media coverage including national
BBC, ITV, Sky news. |
|
|
650,000 visits to web site on day of launch |
|
|
|
Links to web site established from major UK media
and child charity web sites |
Children’s Society represent charity sector
on national user group. |
|
|
Agreement with National Missing Persons Helpline
to use freephone number on posters. |
|
|
|
ICMEC Europe launch in London |
|
|
|
ICMEC fund raising ball |
£150,000 raised to support project.
Large feature in ‘Hello’ magazine |
|
|
missingkids launch in N. Ireland |
|
|
|
missingkids given as best practice in ACPO and
Home Office guidance documents |
Final publication in autumn 2001. |
|
|
Installation and training in Scotland |
UK network complete
Scotland first site with 24 hour 365 day facility |
|
|
Agreement reached with Tesco to display posters
in stores. |
Posters to be displayed for early 2002 |
|
|
Web site guide for forces published |
Circulated to all UK forces |
|
|
Home Office Research report published |
Circulated to all UK forces |
THE ABOVE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY
uk.missingkids.com
