City of Rochester
News Release
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(Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren and Rochester City Councilmember Adam McFadden announced an initiative Wednesday to combat human trafficking and child abduction through community policing. The Mayor and Councilmember proclaimed the week of Sept. 30 through Oct. 7 as Community Policing Week to headline a series of events to help the community learn how to keep children safe and minimize the risk of human trafficking.
“Rochester is blessed to have so many agencies whose mission is protecting children,” said Mayor Warren. “That is why I am proud to work with Councilmember McFadden to bring these agencies together in the spirit of community policing to shine a spotlight on the horrors of human trafficking and child abduction and give parents the tools and information they need to keep our children safe. I want to thank the men and women of the Rochester Police Department and all of our community partners for answering the call to end this evil practice in our community.”
“It is my sincere hope that the residents of Rochester come to the events that will take place during Community Policing Week. Come on Saturday and get a Safe Child I.D. Card for your kid, come to the events on Tuesday and Wednesday so that you can learn how to keep your children safe,” said Councilmember McFadden. “As Chair of the Public Safety, Youth and Recreation Committee and more importantly as a father, I wanted to structure a week that would benefit our families and protect our children. It is heartbreaking that we live in an age where human trafficking and child abduction occur. My goal for this week is to bring awareness to these heinous acts and teach parents warning signs to look for and ways to prevent these tragic events from happening to their family.”
Community Policing Week will feature the following events:
Operation SAFE CHILD Registrations: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday Sept. 30 at four locations: Avenue D R-Center, 200 Avenue D; Maplewood Community Library, 1111 Dewey Ave.; Frederick Douglass R-Center, 999 South Ave.; Adams Street R-Center, 85 Adams St.
Obtain a SAFE CHILD Identification Card and register your child or children on the New York State SAFE CHILD database. Safe Child gives law enforcement agencies critical information in the event an AMBER Alert or search for a missing child. The identification cards and database hold biographical information that parents and guardians would need quickly in a time of crisis, including an updated photo, height, weight, hair and eye color, digital finger prints.
Human Trafficking Prevention Town Hall: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3 at City Hall, Council Chambers, 30 Church St.
Members of the Rochester Police Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will provide information and answer questions on how to avoid the risk of child abduction and how to immediately respond if a child disappears. Moderated by WDKX.
- “Not for Sale” – Film Screening and Panel Discussion: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4 at the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center (REOC), 161 Chestnut St.
Not for Sale is a documentary about modern-day abolitionists fighting the rampant terror of slavery and human trafficking in the United States and abroad. The screening will be followed by a discussion with a panel of experts from the Bivona Child Advocacy Center; the Center for Youth; and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Moderated by WDKX.
Community Policing Week partners are: The Rochester Police Department; the Bivona Child Advocacy Center; the Center for Youth; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center; and 103.9 WDKX.
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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.