U.S. Attorney Announces ‘Be Here For Kids’ Event in Phoenix

     PHOENIX - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, is hosting the ‘Be Here for Kids’ event on Friday, June 12, 2015, at the Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix. The event will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

     The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) created the ‘Be Here for Kids’ campaign to promote awareness about all child safety issues. The campaign is designed to help parents and others teach children to be aware, alert, and cautious to potential threats and to provide steps that children can take to stay safe, both on the Internet and in daily life. Families also are encouraged to take 25 minutes to talk to their children about abduction and safety prevention.

     "The annual ‘Be Here for Kids’ national child safety campaign is particularly important this time of year, when children begin their summer breaks and have more time on their hands" said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. "This event is designed to increase awareness among parents and children of the potential threats to child safety present in daily life, including the Internet."

     This year’s event is being presented in partnership with the U.S. Marshal’s Service; Maricopa County Attorney’s Office; Phoenix Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Department of Homeland Security; and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. The Phoenix Police Department will be providing an armored vehicle from the bomb squad, guests from their K-9 unit, and education on bike safety, child restraints, and traffic. The U.S. Marshal’s Service will be introducing their new Marshal dog and digital child identification kits will be provided free of charge to those that attend.

     For more information on NCMEC, visit www.missingkids.com. For more information about the Be Here for Kids campaign, visit www.missingkids.com/behereforkids. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     RELEASE NUMBER: 2015-042_Be_Here_for_Kids_Phoenix

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