U.S. Attorney Announces Take 25 Child Safety Events In Phoenix And Tucson

PHOENIX - The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) created the Take 25 campaign to encourage families to take 25 minutes to talk to their children about safety and abduction prevention. NCMEC estimates that 800,000 children are reported missing in America every year, which is more than 2,000 children each day. Fortunately, most of these children are quickly located.

NCMEC has found that in 81% of attempted abduction cases, children escaped would-be abductors through their own actions. 28% of the children actively resisted (yelling, kicking, pulling away, running away, or attracting attention), while 53% recognized something was not right and responded by walking or running away. Teaching and reassuring children about safety - without scaring them - requires a delicate balance. Take 25 provides parents tools and age-appropriate suggestions for approaching the topic of safety with their children.

            “The annual Take 25 national child safety campaign is particularly important this time of year, when children begin their summer breaks from school and have more time on their hands” said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. “Especially in light of recent events arising from abductions, we encourage parents to take time to talk with their children about safety and abduction prevention.  We hope that the tools and information provided at this year’s Take 25 events will assist families in keeping their children safe.”

Since 1983, May 25th has been observed as National Missing Children’s Day. In conjunction with observance of this year’s National Missing Children’s Day, we are pleased to offer two free Take 25 child safety events. These events are designed to help parents and others teach children to be alert to potential threats and provide steps that children can take to stay safe. Both events will provide attendees with important safety information and demonstrations, along with Child Identification Kits.

PHOENIX: The Phoenix event will be held on Tuesday May 28, 2013, at the Paradise Valley Mall from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Agencies participating in the Phoenix event include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, DHS, FBI, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the Phoenix Police Department, and the Phoenix Fire Department. Digital child identification kits will be provided free of charge.

TUCSON: The Tucson event will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, at the Foothills Mall from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Agencies participating in the Tucson event include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, DHS, FBI, the Tucson Police Department, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arizona Child Advocacy Center.  Digital child identification kits will be provided free of charge and children’s self-defense demonstrations are scheduled.

For more information on NCMEC, visit www.missingkids.com. For more information about the Take 25 campaign, visit www.Take25.org. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.  

RELEASE NUMBER:            2013-041_Take_25_Events

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az