Two more Child Abduction Response Teams (CART) have received national certification from the U.S. Department of Justice. The Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council (MetroLEC) CART of Massachusetts and the Tacoma, Washington Police Department CART received the honors after meeting 47 standards of identified best practices and an onsite assessment of a mock child abduction exercise.
“These agencies are sending a message to the community that they are committed to recovering missing children,” said Alan Wolochuk, CART Certification Manager. “They are also sending a message to the bad guys that the children in this community have the best protection available.”
The MetroLEC is made up of law enforcement officers from several cities, towns and sheriff's offices. On July 23-24, 2013, MetroLEC members conducted a mock child abduction drill in the Town of Norwood. The exercise was used to assess the team, but it was also helpful to make their protocols stronger. “They did really well,” said Wolochuk. In February 2014, the MetroLEC CART became the second team in the northeast to earn the national certification from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Tacoma Police Department CART responded to a mock abduction on September 11-12, 2013. More than 150 law enforcement officers and civilian personnel did their best to find a 14-year-old girl who had been taken from a bus stop near a park. A witness saw the struggle and called for help. “The Tacoma CART's response was professional, coordinated and excellently managed,” said Wolochuk.
On December 20, 2013, the Tacoma Police Department received official notification from the U.S. Department of Justice of its certification, becoming the first CART to earn that distinction in the state of Washington. The U.S. now has 19 certified teams.