Starting today, thousands of postal workers will be deliveringmore than the mail. The 12,394 carriers and other employees willbecome the "eagle eyes" for law enforcement agencies trying to findmissing or abducted children.
The program announced Wednesday is an effort by the U.S. PostalService, Illinois State Police and local police to disseminateimportant information about missing children.
Last year there were 17,165 reports of missing juveniles inChicago. Most of the youngsters are runaways who return home within72 hours. But while they are on the streets, the children areextremely vulnerable, police say."They are at risk of becoming victims or offenders themselves,"said Chicago Police Youth Division Cmdr. Roberta Bartik.To reach the runaways - most of whom are girls - as well asthose children who are deemed criminal abductees, postal carriers andother employees will be asked to watch for them.Once police have determined that a child is missing and may bein danger, they will fax a photo and vital statistics to districtpostal coordinators who will make sure the information is sent inovernight mail pouches to carriers and office workers.Illinois State Police Capt. Norman Martin said the 15,000Chicago postal workers would become "15,000 agents who first andforemost will locate the children, see them returned to legalguardians or parents and see suspects apprehended."Lowana Gooch, Chicago district manager of post officeoperations, said a similar program in New York after the 1993abduction of 12-year old Sara Anne Wood helped create an effectiveinformation network.Bartik said postal carriers often get to know everyone on theirroutes and help many elderly persons. "The mailman becomes awarethat mail is building up at the home of a senior citizen and askspolice to investigate."
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