A Child Is Missing (ACIM) is a national non-profit organization offering free assistance to law enforcement to aid in recovering missing persons (including children, teens, and elderly). We provide immediate telephone alerts to the surrounding community when an individual goes missing. ACIM alerts have led to more than 320 recoveries.

Lapeer County 9-1-1 in cooperation with all the law enforcement agencies participate in the A Child Is Missing program

The following steps are taken in using ACIM's Alert Program:

A person calls the police department to report a missing child, elderly or disabled person.

The police department then calls A Child Is Missing on a toll-free number.

ACIM takes all pertinent information, including but not limited to:

• Name of law enforcement agency
• City, county and state of agency
• Name of person missing
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Nationality
• Height and Weight
• Hair and Eye color
• Clothing description
• Any scars or other physical characteristics
• Any medical/psychological conditions to be aware of
• Home address including zip code
• Location last seen with zip code if different than residence
• Police department phone number for the public to call to report information
• Case # or Reference # assigned to the case
• If there is water or wooded areas in the vicinity
• Have friends and family been contacted
• Has the person gone missing before
• Is there foul play, kidnapping or parental abduction suspected
• If the missing is a child, is the agency aware of any sexual predators within 1 mile of the last seen address

A Child Is Missing also requests a cell or beeper number to reach the officer on the scene for additional information.

ACIM then makes a recorded message with the information that has been supplied.

The location last seen is entered into the computer and a database of phone numbers of the residents/businesses is gathered. The message is then sent out to the community.

When a child is reported missing near water, the immediate area is canvassed with the message, then the search area is expanded if the child has not been found.

ACIM continues to work with the officer on the scene and/or the communications department until the missing person has been found.

After recovery, the agency calls ACIM to stop the search. ACIM then faxes a case follow-up form to the officer/agency to be filled out, documenting the conclusion of the case. The agency then faxes the form back to ACIM. This documentation assists ACIM in obtaining funding to continue offering their services to law enforcement.

Please be sure to advise your Public Information Officer about ACIM involvement in searches. This makes for good public relations with the community as the public is made aware that your agency is utilizing all resources possible to ensure their safety.

Click here for more.

Here are some other related helpful links:

National Missing Children Center
When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide