Families Remember Their Missing Loved Ones

ALBANY, NY (03/29/2007)(readMedia)-- Families and friends of missing persons will band together Sunday at the state Cultural and Education Center Museum to reflect on and remember the 4,000 missing New Yorkers and 90,000 missing persons throughout the country.

The 6th Annual NYS "Missing Persons Day" will include remarks by New York State Police Superintendent Preston L. Felton, Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco and Doug and Mary Lyall, whose daughter Suzanne has been missing for nearly nine years. Abby Potash, director of Team Hope, a support network for families with missing children, will deliver the keynote address. Weather permitting, an outdoor ceremony will be held at the Empire State Plaza.

Additionally, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services will set up an Operation SAFE CHILD unit inside the main lobby of the museum to provide free "safe child" cards for children. The credit-card size card contains the child's photograph, biographical information and fingerprints.

Statistics show that one-third of parents in the United States do not know their child's exact height, weight and eye color. Having this information readily available, along with a photograph, can greatly assist law enforcement agencies in responding immediately to a child's disappearance.

When authorized by a parent or guardian, the photo, biographical data and fingerprints of a child are stored in a secure database at DCJS. This allows the stored information to be accessed and disseminated instantly in the critical first few hours in the case of a reported missing child. Parents or guardians can request that information be purged at any time and, after a child turns 18, all information is automatically purged from the database.

What: Sixth annual New York State "Missing Persons Day"

Where: New York State Cultural and Education Center Museum, Madison Avenue, Albany

When: Sunday, April 1, 2007 - 12 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

-- 12-3 p.m. - Parents can obtain free Operation SAFE CHILD cards from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

-- 1:10 p.m. - Opening remarks by Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco.

-- 1:20 p.m. - Opening remarks by the Lyalls

-- 1:25-1:40 p.m. - PowerPoint presentation

-- 2 p.m. - Presentation of HOPE award by State Police Superintendent Preston L. Felton

-- 2:20 p.m. - Keynote address by Abby Potash of Team Hope.

-- 2:50 - 3:20 p.m. - Missing Person Ceremony on the Empire State Plaza

-- 3:20 p.m. - Closing remarks by the Lyalls.

Contact: Doug or Mary Lyall, 518-885-1331 or 518-884-8761

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