A 72-hour law enforcement operation resulted in the rescue of 34 missing children across Queens and Long Island, New York, in what officials are calling the “Long Island Children Rescue Operation.” The children ranged in age from seven to 18, and while some had been missing for only a few days, others had been gone for several years.
Officials said most of the recovered children were runaways, while others were victims of exploitation and trafficking. The operation is now working to connect each child with services suited to their circumstances.
More than 100 professionals from over 40 agencies took part in the search. According to the governor’s office, 31 local cases involving missing children remain open.
Finding the children is only the first step
National Child Protection Task Force chief executive officer Kevin Branzetti said these operations look different from what most people picture. The main goal is coordinating multiple agencies to find missing children before anything happens to them…