FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 24, 2013

MEDIA CONTACT
Loretta Cool, Tacoma Police Department, lcool@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5968

TPD Becomes Only Child Abduction Response Team Certified Agency in Washington State
Only 19 Other Agencies in the United States Have This U.S. Department of Justice Certification

The Tacoma Police Department received certification of its Child Abduction Response Team (CART) through the U.S. Department of Justice and Fox Valley Technical College CART Certification Program. CART certification consists of meeting 47 standards of identified best practices and an on-site assessment of the Mock Child Abduction Exercise. The Tacoma Police Department CART is a multidisciplinary team comprised of individuals with training and experience related to the investigation of child abductions. The Tacoma Police Department is the 20th agency in the country to obtain this certification and the only agency in the state of Washington. 

CART is a tool to provide law enforcement with an effective and efficient response to a missing child incident in which a child is believed to be endangered or abducted. Since 1961, there have been 16 children abducted in Tacoma. The CART Program identifies best practices, better leverages resources, provides guidance through training, and allows for an efficiently managed investigation.

On Sept. 11-12, 2013, CART assessors conducted an on-site review of the Tacoma Police Department's policies and procedures and an assessment of its Mock Child Abduction Exercise.  The exercise involved the use of more than 130 police and civilian personnel.  

On Dec. 20, 2013, The Tacoma Police Department received official notification from the U.S. Department of Justice of its certification.  

“We are excited to acknowledge and recognize the Tacoma Washington Child Abduction Response Team as being certified under the established guidelines and standards," the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a statement. "Compliance with the standards and performance of the child abduction exercise clearly demonstrate that the Tacoma Washington Child Abduction Response Team is prepared to respond if a child goes missing, endangered or abducted and further establish a professional standard for excellence.”