Showing posts with label sarah-krebs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sarah-krebs. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
About 500 people attend event at Ford Field in Detroit to help find missing persons
Saturday was an emotional day for hundreds of people at Ford Field in Detroit.
No, the Detroit Lions didn't announce the return of Barry Sanders.
The Michigan State Police held its first-ever "Michigan Missing Persons Day."
"I don't have an official word that we will be doing it again next year, but I can't see it not happening again," said Det. Trooper Sarah C. Krebs, organizer of the event. "I think the event opened a lot of eyes and has really gotten the ball rolling in our state."
Krebs said about 500 people, including 40 families of missing people, attended the event, designed to help family members who are searching for lost loved ones.
Participants were able to give DNA samples and meet with others who are missing loved ones.
Krebs said she hopes some of the data collected Saturday will help law enforcement solve a number of the cases.
"If anything we gave these families a day of remembrance and recognition," Krebs said. "Some of them had a bad experience with law enforcement in the past, some haven't had any contact with us since they made their initial report.....for some this was 20-30 years ago!"
Each family of a missing person at the five-hour event was guided by an volunteer escort.
Krebs said one of the most memorable moments at the event was a candle light vigil.
"Tears were shed by these escorts when the photos were shown in a slideshow during the candlelight vigil," she said. "I heard some of the escorts that have no affiliation with law enforcement or a missing persons family prior to this event whisper 'oh, there's MY missing person.' It was a great thing."
Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/05/about_500_people_attend_saturd.html
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Families of missing people in Michigan to honor loved ones at Ford Field event
SUSAN TUSA/Detroit Free Press
Mamie Watkins, left, of Detroit says her brother William Bracken of Highland Park, on the poster above, disappeared just before Thanksgiving in 2009. Missing Persons Day - For information or to register for the Michigan's Missing Persons Day event, call Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs at 313-215-0675 or e-mail her at krebss@michigan.gov
It was the day before Thanksgiving 2009 when Mamie Watkins got the call: Her elderly brother had gone missing.
The first thought was that William Bracken had walked from his Highland Park home to a bus stop. Bracken, who would be 82 this year, had caught the bus before to visit Watkins in Detroit, she said. But he was nowhere to be found.
"He just hasn't been seen since," Watkins said.
Her family is one of dozens with missing loved ones expected to turn out Saturday at Ford Field for Michigan's Missing Persons Day, an event hosted by law enforcement agencies and intended to help raise awareness.
Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs said the event, which runs 4-9 p.m., also gives law enforcement officers a chance to update their databases with online profiles of missing people, dental records or DNA samples from relatives.
In January, there were more than 3,000 missing people across Michigan, based on reports entered into the National Crime Information Center, she said.
Incorporated in that number are juvenile cases, runaways, people who are missing in catastrophes and people who are considered endangered or missing involuntarily, including those who were abducted or left without needed medication and cases where foul play is suspected, Krebs said.
The total changes as people return home, are recovered or are found deceased.
"It's a very fluid number," Krebs said.
Each missing person whose family attends the event will be commemorated Saturday. Families are encouraged to bring a photograph of their loved one so police can scan them and update their databases.
Free child identification kits will be provided to families. Krebs said each kit will include the child's fingerprint, a DNA swab and a digital photo and video and be given to the family to keep.
For the families of people who are missing, the search never ends, said John Broad, president of Crime Stoppers of Michigan, which is helping with the event.
"People need our help," he said "We're all part of a neighborhood, part of a community. We're not in this alone."
Watkins, 80, looks forward to meeting other families in similar situations. And she fears the worst for her brother.
"The biggest thing, naturally, is not knowing," Watkins said. "Not knowing if he's even walking around here living."
Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20110503/NEWS01/105030330/Families-missing-people-Michigan-honor-loved-ones-Ford-Field-event
Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or gdamron@freepress.com
The first thought was that William Bracken had walked from his Highland Park home to a bus stop. Bracken, who would be 82 this year, had caught the bus before to visit Watkins in Detroit, she said. But he was nowhere to be found.
"He just hasn't been seen since," Watkins said.
Her family is one of dozens with missing loved ones expected to turn out Saturday at Ford Field for Michigan's Missing Persons Day, an event hosted by law enforcement agencies and intended to help raise awareness.
Michigan State Police Trooper Sarah Krebs said the event, which runs 4-9 p.m., also gives law enforcement officers a chance to update their databases with online profiles of missing people, dental records or DNA samples from relatives.
In January, there were more than 3,000 missing people across Michigan, based on reports entered into the National Crime Information Center, she said.
Incorporated in that number are juvenile cases, runaways, people who are missing in catastrophes and people who are considered endangered or missing involuntarily, including those who were abducted or left without needed medication and cases where foul play is suspected, Krebs said.
The total changes as people return home, are recovered or are found deceased.
"It's a very fluid number," Krebs said.
Each missing person whose family attends the event will be commemorated Saturday. Families are encouraged to bring a photograph of their loved one so police can scan them and update their databases.
Free child identification kits will be provided to families. Krebs said each kit will include the child's fingerprint, a DNA swab and a digital photo and video and be given to the family to keep.
For the families of people who are missing, the search never ends, said John Broad, president of Crime Stoppers of Michigan, which is helping with the event.
"People need our help," he said "We're all part of a neighborhood, part of a community. We're not in this alone."
Watkins, 80, looks forward to meeting other families in similar situations. And she fears the worst for her brother.
"The biggest thing, naturally, is not knowing," Watkins said. "Not knowing if he's even walking around here living."
Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20110503/NEWS01/105030330/Families-missing-people-Michigan-honor-loved-ones-Ford-Field-event
Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or gdamron@freepress.com
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