N.Y. EXC Law § 837-F — New York Code / Act EXC / Article 35 / Section 837-F
Missing and exploited children clearinghouse
Status: in_force

§ 837-f. Missing and exploited children clearinghouse. There is hereby\nestablished within the division a missing and exploited children\nclearinghouse to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the\ntragic problems of missing and exploited children. In addition to the\nactivities of the statewide central register for missing children, the\ncommissioner shall be authorized to:\n  1. Plan and implement programs to ensure the most effective use of\nfederal, state and local resources in the investigation of missing and\nexploited children;\n  2. Exchange information and resources with other states, and within\nNew York state, concerning missing and exploited children;\n  3. Establish a case data base which will include nonidentifying\ninformation on reported children and facts developed in the phases of a\nsearch, and analyze such data for the purposes of: assisting law\nenforcement in their current investigations of missing and exploited\nchildren, developing prevention programs and increasing understanding of\nthe nature and extent of the problem; and share the data and analysis on\na regular basis with the National Center for Missing and Exploited\nChildren;\n  4. Disseminate a directory of resources to assist in the locating of\nmissing children;\n  5. Cooperate with public and private schools and organizations to\ndevelop education and prevention programs concerning child safety for\ncommunities, parents and children;\n  6. Provide assistance in returning recovered children who are located\nout-of-state;\n  7. By January first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven arrange for the\ndevelopment of a curriculum for the training of law enforcement\npersonnel investigating cases involving missing and exploited children;\n  8. Assist federal, state and local agencies in the investigation of\ncases involving missing and exploited children;\n  9. Utilize available resources to duplicate photographs and posters of\nchildren reported as missing by police and with consent of parents,\nguardians or others legally responsible, disseminate this information\nthroughout the state;\n  10. Beginning on January first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven,\ndisseminate, on a regular basis, a bulletin containing information on\nchildren in the missing children's register to the state education\ndepartment which shall then forward such bulletin to every public and\nprivate school where parents, guardians or others legally responsible\nfor such children have given consent;\n  10-a. (a) By November first, nineteen hundred ninety-seven prescribe\ngeneral guidelines to enable the state legislature and state agencies to\nassist in the location and recovery of missing children. The guidelines\nshall provide information relating to:\n  (i) the form and manner in which materials and information pertaining\nto missing children including but not limited to biographical data and\npictures, sketches or other likenesses may be included in stationery,\nnewsletters and other written or electronic printings;\n  (ii) appropriate sources from which such materials and information may\nbe obtained;\n  (iii) the procedures by which such materials and information may be\nobtained; and\n  (iv) any other matter the clearinghouse considers appropriate.\n  (b) By January first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight arrange for the\ntransmission of biographical information and pictures, sketches or other\nlikenesses of missing children to state agencies, departments and the\nlegislature to use in printings.\n  11. Operate a toll-free twenty-four hour hotline for the public to use\nto relay information concerning missing children;\n  12. Submit an annual report to the governor and legislature regarding\nthe activities of the clearinghouse including statistical information\ninvolving reported cases of missing children pursuant to section eight\nhundred thirty-seven-m of this article and a summary of the division's\nefforts with respect to the use of monies from the missing and exploited\nchildren clearinghouse fund created pursuant to section ninety-two-w of\nthe state finance law; and\n  13. Take such other steps as necessary to assist in education,\nprevention, service provision and investigation of cases involving\nmissing and exploited children.\n  14. (a) In consultation with the division of state police and other\nappropriate agencies, develop, and regularly update and distribute,\nmodel missing child prompt response and notification plans, which shall\nbe available for use, in their discretion, as appropriate, by local\ncommunities and law enforcement personnel. Such plans shall involve a\npro-active, coordinated response, planned in advance, that may be\npromptly triggered by law enforcement personnel upon confirmation by a\npolice officer, peace officer or police agency of a report of a missing\nchild, as defined in subdivision one of section eight hundred\nthirty-seven-e of this article.\n  (b) Such plans shall, at a minimum, provide that:\n  (i) the name of such missing child, a description of the child and\nother pertinent information may be promptly dispatched over the police\ncommunication system, pursuant to subdivision three of section two\nhundred twenty-one of this chapter;\n  (ii) such information may be immediately provided orally,\nelectronically or by facsimile transmission to one or more radio\nstations and other broadcast media outlets serving the community\nincluding, but not limited to, those which have voluntarily agreed, in\nadvance, to promptly notify other such radio stations and other\nbroadcast media outlets in like manner;\n  (iii) such information may be immediately provided by electronic mail\nmessage to one or more internet service providers and commercial mobile\nservice providers serving the community including, but not limited to,\nthose which have voluntarily agreed, in advance, to promptly notify\nother such internet service providers in like manner;\n  (iv) participating radio stations and other participating broadcast\nmedia outlets serving the community may voluntarily agree to promptly\nbroadcast a missing child alert providing pertinent details concerning\nthe child's disappearance, breaking into regular programming where\nappropriate;\n  (v) participating internet service providers and commercial mobile\nservice providers serving the community may voluntarily agree to\npromptly provide by electronic mail message a missing child alert\nproviding pertinent details concerning the child's disappearance;\n  (vi) police agencies not connected with the basic police communication\nsystem in use in such jurisdiction may transmit such information to the\nnearest or most convenient electronic entry point, from which point it\nmay be promptly dispatched, in conformity with the orders, rules or\nregulations governing the system; and\n  (vii) no dispatch or transmission of a report concerning a missing\nchild shall be required by such plan if the investigating police\ndepartment advises, in its discretion, that the release of such\ninformation may jeopardize the investigation or the safety of the child,\nor requests forbearance for any reason.\n  (c) The commissioner shall also designate a unit within the division\nthat shall assist law enforcement agencies and representatives of radio\nstations, broadcast media outlets, internet service providers and\ncommercial mobile service providers in the design, implementation and\nimprovement of missing child prompt response and notification plans.\nSuch unit shall make ongoing outreach efforts to local government\nentities and local law enforcement agencies to assist such entities and\nagencies in the implementation and operation of such plans with the goal\nof implementing and operating such plans in every jurisdiction in New\nYork state.\n  (d) The commissioner shall also maintain and make available to\nappropriate state and local law enforcement agencies up-to-date\ninformation concerning technological advances that may assist in\nfacilitating the recovery of missing children. Such information shall\ninclude, but not be limited to, technology using computer assisted\nimaging to "age enhance" photographs of missing children, and technology\nthat may be used to enter such photographs and other pertinent\ninformation concerning missing children into a database accessible to\nappropriate officials and persons.\n