ASSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN

By William J. Clinton

One of the most prominent readers of the Klaas Action Review is America's President, Bill Clinton. In this issue, he outlines recent federal changes that have strengthened America's response to crimes against children.

It is a great honor to write a column for the Klaas Action Review. Let me begin by commending my friend, Marc Klaas. I admire Marc's unbridled passion to protect America's most precious resource, our children. His courage and resolve to prevent child abduction are helping to give all parents additional ways to maintain their children's safety. No parent should suffer the tragedy he experienced with the loss of his daughter, Polly.

What Has the Federal Response Been?

The federal government must do all it can to help state and local law authorities solve child abduction cases. That is why, in response to the Jimmy Ryce case in South Florida, I issued the Memorandum on Missing Children on January 19, 1996. The Memorandum directs federal government buildings and facilities to provide space for the posting of missing persons or children notices in public and other appropriate places. This is a small but important step in the right direction in assisting parents in their efforts to find abducted children.

The nation owes Marc a great deal for his outspoken efforts to help break six years of Congressional deadlock and bring about passage of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. He came to Washington on several occasions to push for the bill, and he stood at my side when I signed it into law. More commonly known as the "Crime Act," this legislation is the toughest and smartest anti-crime legislation ever enacted. The Crime Act places 100,000 new community policing officers on our streets, bans deadly assault weapons, and makes "Three Strikes and You're Out" the law of the land. The Crime Act also does much more to protect the safety of our children.

One of the latest pieces of legislation is the Memorandum on Missing Children, which directs federal buildings to provide space to post notices about missing children.

Protecting Children Against Sex Offenders

The Crime Act also contained the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act, which provides states with a financial- incentive to adopt effective registration systems for convicted child molesters and other persons convicted of sexually violent crimes.

It further permits community notification concerning the location of registered offenders when it is necessary for public safety. In addition, the Crime Act established the Morgan P. Hardiman Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children Act, comprised of law enforcement officers from every federal agency who will coordinate resources to assist state and local authorities in investigating the most difficult cases of missing and exploited children.

The Justice Department has several other existing programs and operations dedicated to child protection issues. For instance, the Child Abduction and Serial Killer unit (CASKU), a rapid response element in the FBI, devotes its technical and forensic expertise to the investigation of the abduction or mysterious disappearance of children. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), within the Justice Department, annually provides training and technical assistance to approximately 4,500 local law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, and professionals who investigate missing children cases

National Center Sees Strong Success

OJJDP coordinates its efforts with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit organization funded in part by the Justice Department. The Center serves as a national resource for information on missing and exploited children issues. One of its most important services is a toll-free hotline for missing children reports -- the number is 1/800-THE-LOST. The Center also possesses a dedicated staff that works around the clock and uses advanced technology to bring our missing children home. The Center should be commended for successfully recovering about 78% of the children that

President Clinton signed an executive order on Jan. 19, 1996, mandating that federal buildings allow space to post missing child notices. the President was joined at the signing in the Oval Office by Americans who have been victims of this crime, including (left to right): Don and Claudine Ryce, Marc Klaas, Colleen Nick, Adam Croote, and Linda Koerner. They were joined by Representative Peter Deutsch (D-FL), to the right.

they have endeavored to locate. The Center also created Project Alert, which trains retired police officers to respond to state and local law enforcement requests for assistance on missing children cases. The Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services coordinates its National Runaway Switchboard, which is a national hotline for both young people and for parents to call if their child is missing.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has successfully recovered about 78% of the children that they have endeavored to locate.

How Has the Klaas Foundation Helped?

The Klaas Foundation for Children is serving an integral role in providing greater safety to children across the country. Recently in the San Francisco Bay Area, 3,000 children were fingerprinted and photographed with Child Safety Packets developed by the Foundation. The Foundation has distributed thousands of these packets to local communities throughout the United States. In addition, along with MTC Partners, the Klaas Foundation introduced the Family 800 CallHome Card. This will allow any child to call home at any time without coins.

Our nation's children, their safety and welfare, is a top priority of my administration. They are our future and must be protected. We are doing all we can at the federal level to assist state and local authorities to bring missing children home; but we can never do enough. All of us must face this challenge together and work to create the safest environment for our children, to provide them the future they deserve.