ABSTRACT

When a parent becomes aware that their child is missing, and by the time they contact the police, two crucial hours could have elapsed. To further emphasize that time is of the essence to a missing child, a recent study has shown that it takes police departments an average of ªve hours to enter a missing child into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) a¡er they have been reported missing.* erefore, these documented time delays of two hours to call the police and an average of ªve hours to enter a child into NCIC, can be an abducted child’s worst enemy. Time is of the essence to get a response and investigation up and running. If the child has been abducted by a stranger, there is a high probability that the abducted child will be killed within three hours.