NUMBER OF MISSING PERSONS DECREASED BUT RECOVERY RATE REMAINS LOW

The FBI publishes statistics about crime in the United States every year in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). Although information concerning individual offenders is only releasable to certain law enforcement officials, anyone can view the criminial statistics. According to the FBI, the number of missing persons cases filed decreased in 2010.

During 2010, 692,944 missing person records were entered into NCIC, a decrease of 3.7 percent from the 719,558 records entered in 2009. Missing person records cleared or canceled during the same period totaled 703,316. Reasons for these removals include: a law enforcement agency located the subject; the individual returned home; or the record had to be removed by the entering agency due to a determination that the record was invalid.

Does this mean America is becoming a safer place for our children? Perhaps, but these statistics can be deceiving.

It should be noted that of the 692,944 missing persons filed only 46,397 were located. This means that 646,547 or 93% of all missing persons in 2010 were never located.

Although children are the primary target of kidnappings , these crimes are not limited to children. Corporate executives and public figures find themselves in a dangerous position as they become targets to such predators. Many times the goal is monetary gain but hostage takers can also benefit with the power of control and influence. This creates a situation where not only is the target's money at risk but his or her position as they may be forced to take actions directed by the holder of their loved one.

Protecting one's assets is increasingly necessary in such a volitile world, not just among the super rich but anyone with something to lose. The fact of the matter is, the more you have, the more you must do to protect it. It is a grim statistic but 93% of missing persons are never recovered. The expense to protect loved ones is nothing compared to the loss of an irreplacable family member. Can individuals afford to pay large amounts in ransom or in an attempt to rescue a family member taken hostage? These amounts can be in the millions but daily protection of their family can come at a fraction of the price.

Protection against loss is always better than attempts at recovery after the fact.