Alexandria, Va. – At its 2012 Annual Conference and Expo, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) began a nationwide effort to increase the utilization of the National Crime Information Computer (NCIC) system for finding missing children.  This system alerts NCMEC and the FBI that a child abduction has taken place in a community.

Due to a lack of consistency from state to state for entering child abductions in the NCIC system, NCMEC and its partner organizations, AMBER Alert and the FBI, developed a guide that summarizes the most important information about entering child abductions into the system. Common errors and critical information are identified as well as requirements included in the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act of 2012.

“APCO is working closely with NCMEC to promote the alert system and increase the utilization of the guide through training and certification programs,” said APCO President Terry Hall.

The guide can be downloaded from www.missingkids.com/911 along with other information about how public safety answering points (PSAPs) can help protect children from abduction and sexual exploitation.

About APCO International

APCO International is the world’s largest organization of public safety communications professionals.  It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole – by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.