New York State does not have grant funding, but we do manage the Missing and Exploited Children Fund. It is set up on the state income tax form so when people file their taxes they can check the box and note the amount they want to donate. New Yorkers have donated more than $5 million since the funds inception in 1998. We are trying to get the fund to include missing vulnerable adults, but changing laws can be a challenge. We have used the fund for a variety of different programs including purchasing Project Lifesaver equipment for Sheriff’s throughout NYS. The transmitters are provided to children free of charge. We have also used the funds for child ID cards, safety programs, training LEOs on missing children investigations, and we are currently exploring forming a UAV (drone) program to provide drones to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The primary purpose of the drone would be to use if for searches of missing children, but can be used for other purposes. We also used the money from the fund for ITS to build us an awesome case management database.
