Child abductions by strangers are often complex and high-profile cases. And time is of the essence.
That’s why we’ve added another tool in our Crimes Against Children program that helps our local field offices in these cases: our
Child Abduction Rapid Deployment, or CARD, teams.
Here’s the “who, what, when, and where” of these teams:
Who makes up a CARD team? FBI agents with in-depth experience and a proven track record in crimes against children investigations, especially cases where a child has been abducted by someone other than a family member. Once selected, team members go through extensive training. Each team has a designated leader. The teams work closely with behavioral analysts, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) coordinators, and Crimes Against Children coordinators
What do the CARD teams do? Relying on their expertise and experience, team members make sure the investigation moves quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly. They provide our field divisions running the investigations with on-site investigative, technical, and resource assistance during the initial critical period after a child is kidnapped.
When are the teams deployed? Soon after an abduction has been reported to a
local FBI field office, to
FBI Headquarters, or to the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or in other cases when the FBI determines an investigation is warranted.
Where are the teams located and where have they been deployed? We’ve created ten regional teams nationwide: two each in the northeast, southeast, north central, south central, and west. With the whole nation covered, we can send a team anywhere in the U.S. within hours.
In addition to their unique expertise, CARD teams can quickly establish an on-site command post to centralize investigative efforts and operations. Other assets they bring to the table include a new mapping tool to identify and locate registered sex offenders in the area, national and international lead coverage, and the Child Abduction Response Plan to guide investigative efforts.
Child Abductions—No Ransom
Our field offices respond to cases involving the mysterious disappearance of a child whenever and however they come to our attention. All reports of circumstances indicating that a minor has or possibly has been abducted are afforded an
immediate preliminary inquiry.
In this initial inquiry, we evaluate all evidence, circumstances, and information to determine if an investigation is warranted under federal law. (For instance, it is a federal violation for a person to travel between states to engage in any sexual act with a person under 18.) If a case is warranted, we will immediately open an investigation in partnership with state and local authorities.
During 2010 alone, law enforcement entered 692,944 children as missing into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database. Although the majority of these children were temporarily missing and not abducted, we are committed to assisting law enforcement in investigating cases where there is appropriate jurisdiction.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/cac/non-family-abductions