Overview
- Officials announced Friday that the three-day Long Island Missing Child Rescue Operation located 34 children and teens who had been reported missing from Long Island and Queens.
- The recovered youths ranged from age seven to 18 when reported missing and included cases that had been open for days up to years.
- More than 100 professionals from nearly 40 state agencies operated from a Garden City command center to review leads, share intelligence and use technology such as cellphone and social media tracing.
- State officials said most cases involved runaways while some showed signs of exploitation or trafficking, and recovered minors were immediately connected with housing, medical care, counseling, clothing, food and other tailored supports.
- The sweep was the fourth statewide operation of its kind following earlier efforts that recovered hundreds of youths, and officials emphasized investigations and services for remaining open cases will continue.