BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York State’s first-ever Missing Child Rescue Operation resulted in the successful location of 47 children who were reported missing in Erie County.
State Division of Criminal Justice Services, the National Child Protection Task Force, and law enforcement professionals from 22 public and private entities partnered to provide investigative support to the Amherst and Buffalo Police Departments.
The CEO of the National Child Protection Task Force, co-founder Kevin Branzetti, says this kind of operation is an opportunity for agencies to work together and find these children. Branzetti says it's important for members of law enforcement to interfere before something happens.
"Every time a child goes missing the odds of them being assaulted, or injured or criminalized in some way or something really bad or evil happens to them goes up exponentially, so the goal should always be to bring them home as fast as possible," Branzetti said.
Support and services are provided to recovered children at the Scott Bieler Child Advocacy Center at BestSelf in Buffalo.