2. Forming a Child Abduction Response Team: The Utah AG CART Experience
Overview
Carlie Brucia
Building a
CART
Search
Coordinator
Intelligence
Coordinator
Charles
Lindbergh Jr.
Florida’s First
CART
Activation
Hser Ner Moo
CART
Activation
Venue Case
Agent
CART
Resources
Child Abduction
History
Timeline
Florida success
& problems
CART Incident
Command
Structure
Investigation
Coordinator
CART
Partners
History of
CART
Utah Attorney
General’s
CART
CART
Components
Prosecutors
Utah CART
Future
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3. Overview Child abductions – Last 30 years
Jay Etheridge and the History of CART
Utah Attorney General CART
How to form a CART
Hser Ner Moo abduction
Utah CART today
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4. 1979 Etan Kalil Patz – May 25, 1979 Lower Manhattan, NY
National Missing Children’s Day established
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5. 1981 Adam Walsh - July 27, 1981 Hollywood, Florida August 10, 1981
Adam Walsh Law, Code Adam, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
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6. 1982 Johnny Gosch - September 5, 1982 West Des Moines, Iowa
Prompted law mandating immediate police response on missing children, NCMEC
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7. 1984 National Center for Missing Exploited Children formally launched
Clearinghouse for resources and information
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8. 1996 Amber Hagerman - January 13, 1996 Arlington, Texas
AMBER Alert System, National Sex Offender Registry
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9. 2002
Utah Rachael Alert created, name for Rachel Runyan (kidnapped and killed in 1982, still an active Utah AG cold case investigation)
Name changed to Utah AMBER Alert
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10. 2002 Elizabeth Smart abduction First Utah Rachael/AMBER Alert
Helped Jay Etheridge conceive of CART concept as he watched TV news reports
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11. HISTORY OF CART Jay Etheridge - Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Saw response in high profile cases (Elizabeth Smart-2002)
Gathered experts
Identified resources & best practices
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12. Florida’s 1st CART activation
October CART became a reality
7 year old female disappeared from her home
CART activated at 8:00 AM
9:20 AM, 47 members of CART were on the scene
Kidnapper, 19-year-old neighbor
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13. Citizens found the girl emerging from the woods, naked and alive
CART investigators already interviewed him once and was preparing for second interview
Citizens found the girl emerging from the woods, naked and alive
Child had been raped and beaten
CART successfully brought a child home
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14. Was Florida’s CART successful?
Appropriately massive police response
Community awareness instantly created
Pressure on suspect
Investigation moved quickly
Child found quickly
Child found alive and returned home
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15. Early challenges to Florida’s CART
Layers of bureaucracy - many agencies involved
Territoriality among police agencies
“Swooping in and taking over”- seen as a competitor instead of a “toolbox”
Division of resources
Large egos
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16. Florida’s CART 2004-2005 CART activated 13 times
11 of 13 children were brought home alive
Received NCMEC national recognition for the CART concept
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17. U.S. Justice Department
launches the Child Abduction Response Team concept nationally
$1.5 Million in federal training funding
Goal to start 10 programs nationwide
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18. UTAH Attorney General’s CART
General Shurtleff took leadership role in establishing a CART
Chief Ken Wallentine & Lt. Jessica Farnsworth brainstorm at national training
August 26, Utah AG CART launched as part of the AG Investigation Division
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19. Forming a CART Study previous kidnappings – what worked? What didn’t?
Interview those on scene – LEOs, public, media, support staff
Talk to family members of victim
Identify all resources (staff/equipment) needed in an abduction investigation and get them!
Public involved to assist you with resources and equipment
Learn from our mistakes
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20. Criteria for activation Deployment plan MOU’s
Delegate assignments
Criteria for activation
Deployment plan
MOU’s
Policy and procedure manual
Resource manual
Assignment checklist
Equipment centralized
Training - mock activations
Proper marketing
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21. Individual CART Members
Select based on
Commitment to saving kids
Integrity
Specialized training & experience
Team player
Ownership of assignment
Highly motivated
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22. Agencies’ CART inputs Commitment
Supportive of CART members from the respective agency
MOU signed
Financial commitment
Overtime costs
Travel in some cases
Time away from other duties
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23. Status on March 31, 2008 36 Utah Attorney General CART Members
13 agencies involved
Basic training completed
Table-top mock activation recently done
Equipment purchased through local grants and donations
MOU’s signed
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24. Hser Ner Moo Abduction 3-31-08 9:55 PM CART contacted
10:05 PM CART activated
10:30 PM CART members on scene (25 min.)
Incident Command Center set-up
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25. Utah CART activation Victim advocate sent to victim’s home
Investigators/crime lab sent to victim’s home
179 sex offenders identified within a 2 mile radius
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27. Neighborhood searches by trained volunteers
Investigative leads collated and managed
Classmates interviewed
Surveillance cameras scanned
K-9 resources
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28. Hser Ner Moo’s body found in neighbor’s apartment
Suspect apprehended quickly
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29. Robyn Atkinson CART activation
Developmentally challenged child disappeared after school
“Preemptive” CART activation preceded AMBER Alert
Team rapidly deployed
Child recovered safe
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31. LOGISTICS COORDINATOR
COMPUTER IT: Maintains computer equipment at Incident Command Center and Volunteer Location.
CART NETWORK SERVER: Sets up the CART network server, data base computers, and obtaining remote internet access for Intelligence Division.
VERIZON LEO CELL PHONES: Establishes up LEO Lines (land or cell) for Intelligence Division and LEO Line for Volunteer Venue. Also in charge of activating/deactivating air cards for laptops. FF
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32. DISPATCHER:. Assists venue LEO agency with setting up appropriate tip-line/Amber Alert/etc.
RESOURCES: Maintains resource book and provides resources as needed during activation.
LOCATIONS: Identifies and negotiates for locations for mobile command centers, Incident Command Center, volunteers, media, etc.
FOOD/SHELTER: Directs logistics of food/water/shelter to LEO’s and food/water for volunteers. FF
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33. SEARCH COORDINATOR
VOLUNTEER CORDINATOR: Supervisor over the volunteer venue. Responsible for getting all pertinent information forwarded to the SEARCH supervisor and the Intelligence Unit.
USEARCH: Directs all volunteers and organize volunteer search groups. i.e., vests for volunteers, appropriate background checks, etc.
MAPS: Creates and provides search maps from the Intelligence Unit for the volunteers and update the Intelligence Unit and Volunteer Coordinator on areas searched. FF
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34. BCI COMPUTERS: Manages computers and air cards at the Volunteer Venue.
VIDEO: Provides an orientation video and Q & A for volunteers.
BRIEF: Briefs volunteers before they start searching.
DEBRIEFING: Debriefs volunteers when they return and gathers documentation from them.
BCI COMPUTERS: Manages computers and air cards at the Volunteer Venue.
BCI: Supervises 20 BCI employees. BCI performs all criminal backgrounds on civilian volunteers. All criminal histories results are provided to the BCI LEO. FF
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35. BCI LEO: Notifies volunteers who have been cleared and dismisses volunteers with criminal histories.
LEO LINE: Monitors the LEO line from volunteers searching in the field. Makes command decision to send police (or not) to the particular area.
K-9 OFFICERS
LEO SEARCH COORDINATOR: Coordinates all the police grid/canvass /searches (neighborhoods, businesses, vehicles, etc) that are completed by the search teams and search teams subgroups.
SEARCH TEAM LEADER: Ensures that all the grid/canvass/ searches are thorough and that documentation is completed. All documentation is reviewed by LEO Volunteer Coordinator and forwarded to the SEARCH Coordinators and the Intelligence Unit. FF
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36. NCMEC TEAM ADAM: Search/Investigation Consultants/NCMEC Liaisons/etc.
SPECIALIZED SEARCH: Supervisor over the specialized searches. Forward results to SEARCH Coordinator and Intelligence Unit.
HOME-FBI, LOCAL, US MARSHAL, CART: Searches the child’s home. Group of 5 local, state and federal officers.
¼ MILE-FBI, LOCAL, US MARSHAL, CART: Searches homes and interviews occupants who live within ¼ mile area of child’s home. Group of approximately 20 local, state and federal officers.
1 ½ MILE-FBI, LOCAL, US MARSHAL, and CART: Searches homes and interviews occupants who live within 1 ½ mile area of child’s home. Group of approximately 20 local, state and federal officers. FF
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37. VENUE CASE AGENT
Commands the investigation and works closely with the Investigation Coordinator. Venue agent also pairs with CART/FBI investigators to interview family/witnesses/suspects/persons of interest. FF
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38. INVESTIGATION COORDINATOR
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: Gathers documentation from private and public surveillance cameras in the area of the abduction and/or from any leads.
SEX OFFENDER CORDINATOR: Directs police groups who are interviewing and searching registered sex offenders’ homes.
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY: Identifies all registered sex offenders in the area and informs the Sex Offender Coordinator.
SEX OFFENDER INVESTIGATORS: Investigation teams made up of sex crime investigators who interview and search all registered sex offender’s homes. FF
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39. INVESTIGATORS INTERVIEWING FAMILY/WITNESSES: A team of investigators (FBI & CART) who partner with the venue agent to interview family/witnesses/suspects/person of interest.
SUBJECT: Works with the venue case agent and team of investigators. Main focus is interviewing subjects/persons of interest/suspect.
VICTIMOLOGY-TIMELINE: Works with the venue case agent and team of investigators. Main focus is interviewing all witnesses that had access to the child prior to the abduction. This includes child’s classmates and friends.
WITNESSES: Works with the venue case agent and team of investigators. Main focus is interviewing witnesses.
VICTIM ADVOCATE: Liaison between family and police. Provides needed services for family. FF
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40. INVESTIGATORS: Investigators who work investigative leads.
LEO AT VICTIM’S HOME: Keeps unwanted people away from the child’s home, etc. Provided by a uniform officer from the venue agency.
US MARSHAL’S SUSPECT LOCATOR: Locates suspects and/or persons of interest.
REGIONAL COMPUTER FORENSICS LAB: Search any computers and /or electronic devices.
CRIME SCENE CORDINATOR: Supervisor over all of the crime scenes. Coordinates with State Crime Lab as needed. Commands securing the crime scenes.
STATE CRIME LAB: Processes and gathers evidence. Collects and maintains child’s DNA.
INVESTIGATIVE LEADS COORDINATOR: Supervisor over investigators following up on investigative leads. Directs briefings, debriefing investigators and ensuring all investigative leads have been worked and documented.
INVESTIGATORS: Investigators who work investigative leads. FF
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41. PROSECUTORS COUNTY STATE FEDERAL FF Return to Chart
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42. INTEL COORDINATOR
PRIORITY LEADS COORDINATOR: Supervises FBI, venue agency & follow-up personnel in leads processing.
FBI: Reviews, prioritizes, and assigns all leads.
VENUE: Reviews, prioritizes, and assigns all leads.
FOLLOW-UP: Ensures that all the investigative leads have been completed and returned to the intelligence unit and entered into the Simple Leads data base. FF
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43. LEO DATABASES: Access all LEO databases for investigators.
2 LEO Lines: In charge of answering the LEO line from police officers who are out searching/following up on leads, etc.
LEO DATABASES: Access all LEO databases for investigators.
ANALYSIS: Supervisor over ArcGIS, Maps, Data entry and Time Line. Also in charge of analyzing the data.
ARGIS: In charge of gathering data of a specific geographical area. They assist in creating specialized maps and working with the analysis in plotting data.
MAPS: In charge of creating search maps for police and volunteers searches.
DATA ENTRY: Inputs data into Simple Leads database.
TIME LINES: Maintains timeline of events for the analysis. FF
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44. CART Resources DOC sex offender registry staff FBI violent crimes unit
US Marshals suspect locator
DPS resource coordinator
Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force
RCFL computer forensics agents
Verizon phone bank and cell phones
Mobile computer network with internet-capable laptops and air cards
Portable server and printers
County/State/Federal Prosecutors
Crime Scene Technician
BCI field team for rapid background checks and criminal histories
Team ADAM-NCMEC
K9 search dogs
ARC GIS mapping and search tracking software and plotter-size printers
Network/IT tech support
Photo/video equipment
Victim support coordinator
USEARCH
PIO resources
Experienced investigators
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45. Utah CART partners Return to Chart Utah Attorney General’s Office
Federal Bureau of Investigations
US Marshal’s Office
Department Of Public Safety
Department of Corrections
Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement
Department of Technology
Department of Natural Resources
Bureau of Criminal Identification
Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office
West Valley City Justice Court
US Attorney’s Office
Valley Emergency Communication Center
Airport Police Department
Cottonwood Heights Police Department
Draper Police Department
Midvale Police Department
Murray Police Department
South Salt Lake Police Department
Salt Lake Police Department
South Jordan Police Department
Taylorsville Police Department
West Valley Police Department
West Jordan Police Department
University of Utah Police Department
Salt Lake County’s Sheriff’s Office
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Tooele Police Department
Regional Computer Forensic Lab
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
USearch
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46. Utah CART’S FUTURE National certification
Assist in creating regional CART’s within Utah
Provide national technical assistance
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47. Chief Deputy Kirk Torgensen Utah Attorney General’s Office
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