PRESS RELEASE—PBA of New York State Members Escort Capital Region Ride for Missing Children - Annual Event Raises Money and Awareness to Combat the Exploitation of Children
Thursday, September 28, 2023Albany, NY (September 28, 2023) – Every year more than 450,000 children go missing in the United States, and for law enforcement officers represented by the PBA of New York State (PBANYS), even one child is too many. On September 22, members of PBANYS joined the Ride for Missing Children to provide a safety escort for bicyclists and raise awareness and money to combat child exploitation and reunite missing children with their heartbroken families.
“No matter what our specialty, every officer represented by the PBA of New York State considers protecting the innocent and vulnerable their primary mission,” said PBANYS president James McCartney. “We are honored to join with our communities and fellow law enforcement officers from across the Capital Region in raising awareness and funds to reunite lost children with their loved ones.”
The Ride for Missing Children began in 1995 when a group of seven riders rode from Utica, NY to Washington DC - arriving at the steps of the Capitol on May 25th, Missing Children’s Day. In 1997, 43 riders continued this tradition by riding 100 miles from Albany, NY to Utica, NY. Today the Ride for Missing Children has grown to the largest annual fundraiser for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children with more than 900 riders participating in five rides throughout the year in New York State and Texas. In addition to the Albany ride on September 22, the organization will host a ride in Syracuse on September 29. PBANYS members have participated in the Ride for Missing Children for the past decade.
This year the route took riders past a number of local schools as a reminder that missing children come from communities large and small and impact families of all backgrounds. Schools along the ride route included Mechanicville Elementary School, Chango Elementary School, Charlton Heights Elementary School, Geyser Road Elementary School, and Lake Ave Elementary.
To date, the Ride for Missing Children has raised funds to purchase nearly 12 million missing child posters to help locate more than 12,000 missing children. What keeps supporters pressing forward year in and year out is knowing that through the collective efforts of this organization and its members they have helped recover more than 8,700 missing and exploited children.
PBANYS members are no strangers when it comes to searching for missing and exploited children. One of New York state’s most famous missing child incidents came in July of 1971 when “Dougie” Legg went missing at the Santanoni Estate in Essex County. New York State Forrest Rangers organized a search that included more than 1,000 people and utilized helicopters, infrared detection equipment, and bloodhounds. Sadly, Dougie is among those children that remain missing. State Forrest Rangers answer the call to search for missing children and adults and conduct rescues more than 300 times a year including remote mountain helicopter rescues.
Likewise, state Environmental Conservation Officers and New York State Park Police bring high tech assets to the search for missing people including watercraft, drones, and specially trained canines. New York State Park Police often conduct searches in the most hostile marine environments in New York state including Niagara Falls and Long Island Sound and conduct high angle rope rescues in deep ravines and other inaccessible areas. New York State University Police have also led some of the most high-profile searches for missing children in the nation including Karen Wilson and Suzanne Lyall who both disappeared from the State University of New York at Albany campus.
PBANYS members who participated in the Ride for Missing Children include State University Police at Albany Lt. Steven Grassmann (Ride Command/Law Enforcement Coordinator), University Police Officer Chad Silvernail, New York State Park Police Officer Lee Laurie, and New York State Environmental Conservation Officer Mark Klein.
The union was honored to be joined by fellow law enforcement officers from across the Capital Region including the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Saratoga Springs Police Department, Mechanicville Police Department, and Waterford Police Department.
McCartney concluded, “We won’t rest until these children are reunited with their loved ones and safely home resting in their own beds.”
ABOUT the PBA of New York State: Established in 2011, the Police Benevolent Association of New York State (PBA of New York State), is a law enforcement labor union representing the interests of approximately 1,100 members of the New York State Agency Police Services Unit (APSU). The PBA of New York State is the exclusive bargaining agent for the New York State University (SUNY) Police, the New York State Environmental Conservation Police, the New York State Park Police, and the New York State Forest Rangers. Our members police and protect New York State’s public universities and colleges; state parks and historic sites; and they enforce state laws and protect our lands and forests and ensure environmental safety and quality throughout the state.
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