Vaud: a big step for the abduction alert
Missing Children Switzerland took part in a full-scale exercise with the Vaud cantonal police. A promising partnership to tackle the missing people phenomenon.
It was 8 am on Thursday, September 2, 2021, when the disappearance of an 8 year old girl was reported. In the offices of the cantonal police, the agitation is in full swing: the abduction alert protocol has just been triggered.
In the middle of the tumult, a young woman plays a very singular role: complicating the task of the investigators by flooding the switchboard with calls and false leads. This young woman is Jeannette, one of Missing Children Switzerland's advisor. It was in fact an exercise in which the Foundation took part.
Called "Alerta 21", the operation consisted in testing the "abduction alert" system at a cantonal level, whether it concerned the implementation of emergency measures, the management of the "call center" or communication with the population and media.
An added value in the event of a kidnapping
The exercise gave Missing Children Switzerland's team a better understanding of the procedures during an abduction alert, as well as the cooperation between the police, Fedpol and the authorities abroad. We are pleased to have been able to participate.
We also thank the police and its commander Mr. Jacques Antenen for their warm welcome. It's a promising step towards what could be a lasting partnership in the fight against disappearances in Switzerland.
If Missing Children Switzerland now has a better knowledge of the police's modus operandi, it is also important that the police become aware of the added value that the Foundation can bring in the case of an abduction. Most of the states which have the 116 000 emergency hotline have already taken the decision to surround themselves with organizations specialized in missing children. The result is a better service to the population and better care for the victims.
