Trending
It might have gotten lost on the pages of the May 24 edition, but included in a brief inside of that day's paper was some good news.
In that item, readers learned that Wintersville Police said that a 16-year-old girl who had been reported missing a couple of weeks earlier, had been found safe. And, while law enforcement officers and the family and friends who had been looking for Taryn Redfern were able to breathe a sigh of relief, another item that was released later that day showed that, sadly, it's a situation that happens all too often across Ohio.
In fact, according to the 2023 Ohio Missing Children's Clearinghouse Report, there were 17,405 reports of missing children filed across the state last year-- a number that was 1,950 children greater than in 2022.
Attorney General David Yost released those numbers on May 24, one day ahead of National Missing Children's Day, which is marked annually on May 25.
And while those overall numbers can sound frightening, Yost reported that 17,033 of those missing children -- that's 98 percent -- had been safely recovered by the end of the year.
Sadly, five of the children who had been reported missing in 2023 were found dead, Yost said.
Of those missing children, the report details, 9,571 were females and 7,829 were males (with five being listed as having an unknown gender.) The vast majority -- 15,692 -- were between the ages of 13 and 17. There were 1,541 reports for those between the ages of 6 and 12, and 172 reports for children between birth and 5.
The most reports came in October --1,712 -- with the fewest coming in January -- 1,225.
Other numbers included in the report from the clearinghouse, which is part of the Bureau of Criminal Identification's Missing Persons Unit, reveal that 9,469 of cases in Ohio involved a runaway child; 35 involved a child who was abducted by a noncustodial parent; 15 involved abduction by a stranger; and six involved individuals who were between the ages of 18 and 21.
It's not surprising that the greatest number of reports came from the state's most-populated counties, with Franklin reporting the most at 3,252. Not far behind was Cuyahoga, with 2,959 reports. Montgomery County in the Southwestern part of the state had 2,691 reports while Hamilton County recorded 1,497 reports.
Our area was not immune: Jefferson County recorded 52 reports. Of the surrounding counties, Columbiana had 74 reports, Belmont 31 reports, Carroll two reports and Harrison zero reports.
When looking back at the last 10 years, the total in 2023 was the highest since 2019, when 18,638 reports were filed. There were 16,332 reports in 2020 and 14,027 reports in 2021.
Among the tools used by law enforcement when a missing child report is filed are AMBER and Endangered Missing Child alerts. The later category, Yost's report says, is used when law enforcement cannot determine if a missing child was abducted, but the other criteria needed for an AMBER Alert are present.
In 2023, law enforcement agencies around the state issued 13 AMBER Alerts involving 17 children, 16 of whom were recovered safely, with one listed as still missing. Twelve children were involved in the 10 Endangered Missing Child Alerts that were issued, with all recovered safely, the report indicates
Quick response from authorities -- on a local, regional and statewide level -- is important anytime a missing child report is filed, and while the success rate of locating those children is impressive, there's more that can be done, Yost said.
"Local law enforcement is the first defense when a child goes missing, and Ohio's sheriff's departments and police departments do a fantastic job reuniting missing kids with their families," Yost explained. "Although we celebrate a 98 percent reunification rate, one missing child is one too many -- BCI stands ready to assist."
That was evident in the case of Redfern.
"The Wintersville Police Department worked nonstop with multiple local, state and federal agencies to locate Taryn," Lou Vandeborne, the village's police chief, said, while also thanking everyone who provided information and any other assistance.
While no one ever wants to have to face the prospect of a missing loved one, it's reassuring to know that there are systems in place to help keep children safe.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)