2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 35 - Division of Criminal Justice Services › 837-F - Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse.

§ 837-f. Missing and exploited children clearinghouse. There is hereby
established  within  the  division  a  missing  and  exploited  children
clearinghouse to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the
tragic problems of missing and exploited children. In  addition  to  the
activities  of  the statewide central register for missing children, the
commissioner shall be authorized to:
1. Plan and implement programs to ensure the  most  effective  use  of
federal,  state  and local resources in the investigation of missing and
exploited children;
2. Exchange information and resources with other  states,  and  within
New York state, concerning missing and exploited children;
3.  Establish  a  case  data  base  which  will include nonidentifying
information on reported children and facts developed in the phases of  a
search,  and  analyze  such  data  for  the  purposes  of: assisting law
enforcement in their current investigations  of  missing  and  exploited
children, developing prevention programs and increasing understanding of
the nature and extent of the problem; and share the data and analysis on
a  regular  basis  with  the  National  Center for Missing and Exploited
Children;
4. Disseminate a directory of resources to assist in the  locating  of
missing children;
5.  Cooperate  with  public  and  private schools and organizations to
develop education and prevention programs concerning  child  safety  for
communities, parents and children;
6.  Provide assistance in returning recovered children who are located
out-of-state;
7. By January first, nineteen hundred  eighty-seven  arrange  for  the
development  of  a  curriculum  for  the  training  of  law  enforcement
personnel investigating cases involving missing and exploited children;
8. Assist federal, state and local agencies in  the  investigation  of
cases involving missing and exploited children;
9. Utilize available resources to duplicate photographs and posters of
children  reported  as  missing  by  police and with consent of parents,
guardians or others legally responsible,  disseminate  this  information
throughout the state;
10.   Beginning  on  January  first,  nineteen  hundred  eighty-seven,
disseminate, on a regular basis, a bulletin  containing  information  on
children  in  the  missing  children's  register  to the state education
department which shall then forward such bulletin to  every  public  and
private  school  where  parents, guardians or others legally responsible
for such children have given consent;
10-a. (a) By November first, nineteen hundred  ninety-seven  prescribe
general guidelines to enable the state legislature and state agencies to
assist  in the location and recovery of missing children. The guidelines
shall provide information relating to:
(i) the form and manner in which materials and information  pertaining
to  missing  children including but not limited to biographical data and
pictures, sketches or other likenesses may be  included  in  stationery,
newsletters and other written or electronic printings;
(ii) appropriate sources from which such materials and information may
be obtained;
(iii)  the  procedures  by which such materials and information may be
obtained; and
(iv) any other matter the clearinghouse considers appropriate.
(b) By January first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight  arrange  for  the
transmission of biographical information and pictures, sketches or other
likenesses  of  missing  children to state agencies, departments and the
legislature to use in printings.
11. Operate a toll-free twenty-four hour hotline for the public to use
to relay information concerning missing children;
12.  Submit an annual report to the governor and legislature regarding
the activities of the clearinghouse  including  statistical  information
involving  reported  cases of missing children pursuant to section eight
hundred thirty-seven-m of this article and a summary of  the  division's
efforts with respect to the use of monies from the missing and exploited
children  clearinghouse fund created pursuant to section ninety-two-w of
the state finance law; and
13. Take such  other  steps  as  necessary  to  assist  in  education,
prevention,  service  provision  and  investigation  of  cases involving
missing and exploited children.
14. (a) In consultation with the division of state  police  and  other
appropriate  agencies,  develop,  and  regularly  update and distribute,
model missing child prompt response and notification plans, which  shall
be  available  for  use,  in  their discretion, as appropriate, by local
communities and law enforcement personnel. Such plans  shall  involve  a
pro-active,  coordinated  response,  planned  in  advance,  that  may be
promptly triggered by law enforcement personnel upon confirmation  by  a
police  officer, peace officer or police agency of a report of a missing
child,  as  defined  in  subdivision  one  of  section   eight   hundred
thirty-seven-e of this article.
(b) Such plans shall, at a minimum, provide that:
(i)  the  name  of  such missing child, a description of the child and
other pertinent information may be promptly dispatched over  the  police
communication  system,  pursuant  to  subdivision  three  of section two
hundred twenty-one of this chapter;
(ii)  such   information   may   be   immediately   provided   orally,
electronically  or  by  facsimile  transmission  to  one  or  more radio
stations  and  other  broadcast  media  outlets  serving  the  community
including,  but  not limited to, those which have voluntarily agreed, in
advance,  to  promptly  notify  other  such  radio  stations  and  other
broadcast media outlets in like manner;
(iii)  such information may be immediately provided by electronic mail
message to one or more internet service providers and commercial  mobile
service  providers  serving the community including, but not limited to,
those which have voluntarily agreed,  in  advance,  to  promptly  notify
other such internet service providers in like manner;
(iv)  participating  radio  stations and other participating broadcast
media outlets serving the community may voluntarily  agree  to  promptly
broadcast  a  missing child alert providing pertinent details concerning
the child's  disappearance,  breaking  into  regular  programming  where
appropriate;
(v)  participating  internet  service  providers and commercial mobile
service  providers  serving  the  community  may  voluntarily  agree  to
promptly  provide  by  electronic  mail  message  a  missing child alert
providing pertinent details concerning the child's disappearance;
(vi) police agencies not connected with the basic police communication
system in use in such jurisdiction may transmit such information to  the
nearest  or  most convenient electronic entry point, from which point it
may be promptly dispatched, in conformity  with  the  orders,  rules  or
regulations governing the system; and
(vii)  no  dispatch  or  transmission of a report concerning a missing
child shall be  required  by  such  plan  if  the  investigating  police
department  advises,  in  its  discretion,  that  the  release  of  such
information may jeopardize the investigation or the safety of the child,
or requests forbearance for any reason.
(c) The commissioner shall also designate a unit within  the  division
that  shall assist law enforcement agencies and representatives of radio
stations,  broadcast  media  outlets,  internet  service  providers  and
commercial  mobile  service  providers in the design, implementation and
improvement  of  missing  child  prompt response and notification plans.
Such unit shall  make  ongoing  outreach  efforts  to  local  government
entities  and local law enforcement agencies to assist such entities and
agencies in the implementation and operation of such plans with the goal
of implementing and operating such plans in every  jurisdiction  in  New
York state.
(d)  The  commissioner  shall  also  maintain  and  make  available to
appropriate  state  and  local  law  enforcement   agencies   up-to-date
information   concerning  technological  advances  that  may  assist  in
facilitating the recovery of missing children.  Such  information  shall
include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  technology using computer assisted
imaging to "age enhance" photographs of missing children, and technology
that  may  be  used  to  enter  such  photographs  and  other  pertinent
information  concerning  missing  children into a database accessible to
appropriate officials and persons.