United States Postal Service
POSTAL NEWS
Alabama District
Public Affairs and Communications
Contact: Wil Srofe
(205) 521-0466 · Office
(205) 335-8178 · Cell

September 5, 2003

PRESS CONFERENCE: U.S. Postal Service Announces New Program to Help Find Missing Children

Northport, ALabama, Heaven "Shae" Ross has now been missing for 18 days. A joint task force made up of personnel from the Northport Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Tuscaloosa Police Department, Tuscaloosa Sheriff's Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and countless volunteers continue the search for the 11-year-old girl who was last seen on August 19. They are asking that anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts please call :
(toll-free) 1-866-752-0677

In conjunction with the search, officials from the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) along with local law enforcement officials today announced a new and joint effort to help find America's missing children. The announcement of the tri-agency Deliver Me Home Network was made at an early morning press conference held at the Northport Post Office.

By combining resources and coordinating efforts, the agencies hope to strengthen the chances that missing children like Heaven "Shae" Ross can be found and safely returned to their homes.

When deemed beneficial to a missing or abducted child investigation, here is how the network will operate. Within hours of a law enforcement request to a NCMEC Team Adam representative, a missing child or child abduction flyer containing critical identifying information about the child will be printed and disseminated by the Postal Service in the targeted area requested.

Flyers will be displayed in the neighborhood Post Office, and letter carriers will deliver hundreds, even thousands of them to mailboxes in a targeted ZIP Code.

"We are so very pleased that this national program will get its start here in Alabama," said Gloria E. Tyson, Alabama District Manager, Customer Service and Sales, U.S. Postal Service. "The Deliver Me Home Network certainly shows our commitment to the communities we serve, and further complements our corporate message, 'We Deliver for You.'"

Northport Police Chief John W. Galloway spoke at the press conference on how his agency has handled the investigation since Heaven disappeared on August 19. Chief Galloway also outlined how the Deliver Me Home Network came to Northport thanks to the work of lead investigator Captain Ronald Bolton and NCMEC Team Adam member Dennis Weaver, a retired FBI agent.

Following the press conference, Northport letter carriers delivered over 16,000 flyers to addresses within the 35473, 35475 and 35476 ZIP Codes to aid in the search for Shae. To view a photo of the young girl or to learn more about Team Adam, visit NCMEC's website at www.missingkids.com.

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1434