The Bahamas yesterday joined 18 other countries with child abduction alert systems, after signing a $3.5 million contract with Bahamian company Multimedia Technologies for the long-awaited MARCO Alert System.
This system implemented on the eve of Marco Archer’s 19th birthday, is patterned after the Amber Alert system in the United States.
Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said the alert will be critical in assisting with recovery strategies and integrating all primary and secondary distribution pathways.
“This includes new wireless capabilities and the traditional alerting protocols. Furthermore, the Marco’s Alert will empower the community to work cooperatively with law enforcement and the media to increase the safety of our communities,” he said.
“In addition, all social media and traditional media platforms will be maximized. The main objective is always the safe return of the child.”
Minister Dames added that the contract signing should also send a strong message to criminals that crimes against children are intolerable.
He said as the world changes, the country must adjust to the times in which it lives.
“Child protection requires more than just telling our children not to talk to strangers. The tools for sexual predation have now become more widespread and can be accessed by computers, smartphones and tablets that we buy for our children,” he said.
“Technology has created a whole new method by which undesirables can reach our sons and daughters. This signing ceremony will put the tools in the hands of law enforcement to capture would-be abductors and save children, but it is important to note that it requires then efforts of our communities to truly be effective.”
According to the minister, young Marco Archer once indicated to his mother that he wanted to be a policeman “to catch the bad guys”.
He said, “While Marco may never suit up in a uniform, Marco’s Law and Marco’s Alert, both named in his honour, will ensure that he will always play a critical role in assisting the police in arresting the bad guys.”
To receive notifications, the public is asked to register at www.royalbahamaspolice.org, scroll down to the MARCO Alert registration tab, click it and start the process.
All registered parties will receive notifications on their smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.
It was on September 23, 2011 when 11-year-old Marco Archer went missing from Baillou Hill road and Brougham Street.
A few days later, his body was found in a bushy area off Yorkshire Street, Cable Beach.
Marco’s Law, which was named in his honour, was passed back in 2016 and eliminated the 24 hour wait for loved ones to report missing children.
His disappearance and death rocked communities across the nation.
The acronym for MARCO signifies the alert system’s purpose – Mandatory Aggressive Actions for Rescuing Children Operation.
