Please share: Thank you.
911
Operator answers a call.
“911
– what is your emergency?”
A
mother is crying hysterically.
“Help!
God, Please help me - my child is missing – he’s runoff.”
911
Operator asks questions:
“Was
he abducted? Kidnapped?”
Mother
still distraught, sobbing, pleading.
“No.
He just ran off. He’s autistic and nonverbal – he’s only eight years old.”
At some point
in this conversation, besides the plea for help of a young mother asking local
authorities to assist her in finding her child who has run off, the call is
downgraded.
It’s not a
kidnapping.
It doesn’t
seem to be foul play
There is
little the police can do if no crime was committed.
The plea for
help – isn’t enough to get the right resources triggered.
Why? Because
there is nothing set in place. No laws, no organizations can spring to action
to help a mother whose child has run away or runoff.
Why?
Children run off all the time. They want to play or are angry and show out, and
sometimes – they have no sense of danger.
But what if
that child is autistic? What if that child has no means to communicate to those
who approach asking - Why are you by yourself? Would a person even do that?
Approach a child who was alone even if they looked lost?
People are
just as fearful of being accused of ‘Anything relating to children.’ So they ‘Look
the other way’ or say to themselves – ‘That child is no concern of
mine.’
We become
desensitized. We aren’t a community and certainly not a village.
But what if
by a simple alert - we could become that: ‘A million pairs of eyes
looking out?’
What
category does this child fall into when a call for help is initiated?
The police
will respond. But is it a timely response? Once they get the child’s
description – do they have resources to look for a needle in a haystack.
Why
isn’t there an immediate need by our community to already utilize a system that
is set in place just for these type of incidents – The Amber Alert - AMBER
Alerts have an object: it is to increase extra eyes and ears by the thousands,
even millions; to help and listen and look out in their communities increasing
the safe return of a child that was abducted or apprehended.
How is
this not addressed for children diagnosed with autism or children at risk who
are known runners or health concerns that time is of the essence that a child
is located?
As I
search resources available on the internet, I write this plea in hopes some
knowledgeable party will see this and know exactly what can be done. If this
plea gets before legislation or a political activist can assert the narrative,
‘Something must be done.’
That there
is substantial evidence to suggest that we believe our children should be cared
for.
This need
has as much relevance to the fundamental sensibility of anyone that has young
children.
More
‘Alerts’ can address this easily - ‘can funding be an excuse to object to
placing a price on our children’s safety?
The beacon
is already set in place. The way to address what a police force lacks in
resources; staffing, but they have readily available resources already set in
place - available.
Our young
children must be protected by a community that can become a ‘Villiage’ when
that moment is needed most.
Do not let
another child walk the street with millions of eyes that can search for what is
right in front of them.
Our
‘awareness’ can become ramped up immediately, knowing that somewhere a young
child is alone, possibly frightened, unable to get back home or needing medical
attention or all of the above.
Please allow
us to help bring a child home safely. Those of us that are parents ‘Know’ this
fear. The unrest within our hearts becomes like a beacon to our souls.
‘What if
that is my child?’
We can do
more. We can become a village if given the tools.
Please help.
Please let us find a way where the AMBER alert that is already in existence is
extended and replaced with new legislation to assist Children at High Risk as
well to include those who are Autistic, in need of Immediate Medical care, and
or Any child that is age ten, and under that are Missing for 24 hours even if
they have none of the above risks.
Give our
community a means to add those million extra eyes to save our children from
suffering horrible deaths, who never come home. Like my eight-year-old cousin,
who was autistic and nonverbal – ‘Runner.’ And drowned in neighborhood
apartment’s pool because it didn’t have fencing.
Even more
tragic than ending?
Those
millions of eyes never knew to look for Keydall LaShawn Jones, age 8. May his
soul rest in peace. ‘Feb 13, 2013 – May 2021’
Gloria
Sanders-Williams
(A plea to
all who have experienced the ‘fear’ when you don’t know where your child is.)
