Over the course of two weeks at the beginning of May, over 30 kids were reported missing in the Cleveland region, causing concerns among parents and advocates.
Cleveland Kids and Teens' Disappearance Rate Remained High
According to Fox News, Newburgh Heights Police Chief John Majoy said that the number of missing children and teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 has stayed at historic levels throughout the month.
"There's always peaks and valleys with missing persons, but this year it seems like an extraordinary year," said Majoy, who leads the police department in a Cleveland suburb and serves as board president of the volunteer non-profit Cleveland Missing.
Majoy remarked it is unclear whether any of these youngsters are being trafficked or if they are connected to gang activity or drugs. Between May 2 and May 16, the Cleveland Police Department received reports of the disappearances of 27 children and teenagers.
Majoy added that although abductions are less common and that most instances are believed to be runaways, young teens are vulnerable to predators who are "wolves in sheep's clothing."
Their disappearances are not being reported on the news, and their accounts are not being circulated on social media until an Amber Alert is issued, as reported by Fox News.
This contributes to a vicious cycle of crime in the Cleveland region.
Desperate teens, according to Majoy, turn to gangs for safety. This often results in initiation crimes like carjackings and robberies, or they sell their bodies for money or become drug addicts.
The absence of images only serves to heighten the gravity of the situation. There are more empty spaces labeled "Photo not available" than there are actual images of missing individuals when you go through Cleveland's missing persons website. Majoy said that this causes law enforcement agencies a myriad of problems.
The public, he added, is law enforcement's "greatest asset" in missing people cases. If the family has images, the police may utilize social media and broadcast messages to the public to amass tips and possible leads.
Organization That Provides Emotional Support and Search Aid to Families
Cleveland Missing is a special non-profit organization serving Cleveland and its surrounds, committed to helping families of missing individuals via emotional support, search assistance, and information.
Sylvia Colon and her cousin Gina DeJesus, who was 14 when abductor Ariel Castro took her from their family in 2004, formed the organization.
Colon told Fox News Digital, "Every family's experience is different, but there are some things that are the same for everybody. It's first disbelief, blame, [questions like] 'What did we do wrong?' 'Did we miss something?' 'Oh my gosh, how are we going to find this person?' The not knowing what are we going to do."
Cleveland residents may contact police with information on missing individuals by calling 216-623-7697 or emailing helpfindthemissing@city.cleveland.oh.us.
Cleveland Missing may be contacted at (216) 232-6470 or found at 2937 West 25th St.
