Durham Police yesterday said a new app called MCSC rescu, created for the Missing Children Society of Canada, is now available. The app sends missing children alerts to people in hopes that engaging the community will help police locate missing children. The free app is now available for download to residents in Durham Region on Apple and Android devices.
In Canada, more than 40,000 children are reported missing to police each year. This app will provide police services with a quick way to share information and collaborate with others, including the general public to find missing children faster, said a police statement.
Police can issue a Child Search Alert and members of the public have the ability to offer tips through the app, which is updated continuously with information from police. Users can view active cases by region via interactive story maps and register to receive SMS text alerts on their mobile phone about urgent missing children cases in their area.
This app does not replace AMBER Alerts – which are mandatory and sent only when the missing child is under age 18 and believed to be in imminent danger (less than one per cent of 42,000 missing children cases were issued as AMBER alerts in 2018).
With MCSC rescu, police have another tool to disseminate information and target alerts to smaller, more specific geographic areas. But the tool can only be effective if residents download the app.
You can find more information here or visit the app store on your device.
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