More Than 60 Children Rescued in Upstate New York

In a groundbreaking operation, over 60 missing children and teens were rescued in Upstate New York.

Unified Efforts to Protect Vulnerable Children

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) revealed that 64 missing children and teens who were reported as runaways to the police were found as a result of the first-ever Capital Region Missing Child Rescue Operation.

This operation, organized by DCJS in collaboration with the state Office of Children and Family Services and the National Child Protection Task Force, involved over 60 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private partners.

During the three-day operation, there was one common objective: to investigate new leads, review case details, and utilize technology to locate children who are vulnerable to danger, exploitation, and harm.

Age Range of the Missing Children

Among the children and teens involved, they ranged in age from 2 (a child taken by a noncustodial parent) to 17 years old when first reported missing, and from 6 to 22 years old when they were eventually found.

The Rise of Romance in Human Trafficking

One of the shocking revelations from the operation was the pattern of romance human trafficking, where vulnerable individuals are targeted and manipulated through affection and false promises. Kevin Branzetti, CEO of the National Child Protection Task Force, highlighted the disturbing tactic of perpetrators pretending to be in love and showing affection towards victims to coerce them into trafficking.

Statewide Missing Children Statistics for 2024

In 2024, there were a total of 12,114 reported cases of children under 18 who went missing and were reported to the police across the state. It is worth noting that 95 percent of these cases were reported as runaways. Furthermore, in the previous year, police closed 12,310 cases related to children reported missing in 2024 or in earlier years.

At the end of 2024, there were still 1,067 active missing children cases that were being investigated statewide.