§ 143B-499.2. Responsibilities of Center.
§ 143B‑499.2. Responsibilities of Center.
The Center shall:
(1) Assist local law‑enforcement agencies with enteringdata about missing persons or missing children into the national missingpersons file, ensure that proper entry criteria have been met as set forth bythe FBI/NCIC, and confirm entry of the data about the missing persons ormissing children;
(2) Gather and distribute information and data on missingchildren and missing persons;
(3) Encourage research and study of missing children and missingpersons, including the prevention of child abduction and the prevention of theexploitation of missing children;
(4) Serve as a statewide resource center to assist localcommunities in programs and initiatives to prevent child abduction and theexploitation of missing children;
(5) Continue increasing public awareness of the reasons whychildren are missing and vulnerability of missing children;
(6) Achieve maximum cooperation with other agencies of theState, with agencies of other states and the federal government and with theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children in rendering assistance tomissing children and missing persons and their parents, guardians, spouses, orlegal custodians; and cooperate with interstate and federal efforts to identifydeceased individuals;
(6a) Develop and maintain the AMBER Alert System as created byG.S. 143B‑499.7;
(7) Forward the appropriate information to the PoliceInformation Network to assist it in maintaining and publishing a bulletin ofcurrently missing children and missing persons;
(8) Maintain a directory of existing public and privateagencies, groups, and individuals that provide effective assistance to familiesin the areas of prevention of child abduction, location of missing children andmissing persons, and follow‑up services to the child or person andfamily, as determined by the Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety;
(9) Annually compile and publish reports on the actual number ofchildren and persons missing each year, listing the categories and causes, whenknown, for the disappearances;
(10) Provide follow‑up referrals for services to missingchildren or persons and their families;
(11) Maintain a toll‑free 1‑800 telephone service thatwill be in service at all times; and
(12) Perform such other activities that the Secretary of CrimeControl and Public Safety considers necessary to carry out the intent of itsmandate. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986),c. 1000, s. 1; 2002‑126, s. 18.7(b); 2003‑191, s. 2.)