BUFFALO, N.Y. — Why do so many children go missing?
That was the focus of a Saturday afternoon town hall meeting in Buffalo at the Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library.
Young people and community activists discussed what happens when a child goes missing, why does it happen, the disparities that exist around the nation when minority children go missing and what can be done about it.
Representatives from the Buffalo Police department, the president of the Buffalo School Board and the founder of Bury the Violence were part of the panel discussion.
"The youth of the community have come up with their own idea of what they are going to do, and today we're proud to make that announcement, and that's the SOC alert line, the Save Our Children alert line," said Kelly Diane Galloway, the founder of Project Mona's House and the FreeTHEM Center.
"So anybody in the Western New York area can subscribe to the SOC (SAVE OUR CHILDREN) alert line, and twice a week you will find out information about missing children. Have they been found? Where are they? Any tips, or anything like that."
The alert line is 877-934-7283, text SAVE. It will be available in January.
The town hall was presented by Open Buffalo and Project Mona's House.
Galloway says every single day a child goes missing.
"We don't really know how we're supposed to act when a child goes missing, but after today, the community will know and this is how we can hold those who are in power accountable," Galloway said.
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