App to Help Locate Missing Children Available for Download
DRPS is reminding residents about an app that can help police located missing children. The app is called MCSC Rescu, and was launched by the Missing Children Society of Canada to help find missing children.
The app sends alerts about missing children to local residents, hoping to engage the community and assist law enforcement in locating them. The free app is available for download in Durham Region on both Apple and Android devices.
Each year, over 40,000 children are reported missing to Canadian police. The MCSC Rescu app offers law enforcement a fast, efficient way to share critical information and work with the public to help locate missing children more quickly.
Through the app, police can issue a Child Search Alert, and the public can offer tips to assist in the search. The app is regularly updated with real-time information from authorities. Users can view ongoing cases in their area through interactive story maps and register to receive SMS text alerts about urgent missing children cases.
It is important to note that MCSC Rescu does not replace AMBER Alerts. AMBER Alerts are mandatory and are only issued when a child under the age of 18 is believed to be in imminent danger (less than one per cent of the 42,000 missing children cases in 2018 triggered AMBER Alerts).
MCSC Rescu provides an additional tool for law enforcement to issue alerts in more localized geographic areas. However, for the app to be effective, it relies on residents downloading it.
To learn more or download the app, visit https://rescu.mcsc.ca/ or search for the app in your device’s app store.