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Lost child found unharmed
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A Richmond Hill child who went missing Monday was found unharmed after a search that lasted close to two hours.

Richmond Hill Police Chief Bill Reynolds said the boy’s parents contacted the police department just after 4 p.m. Monday to report their child was missing.

"The child was found hiding in a store in the Ford Plaza that was open," Reynolds said. "Our officers conducted a door-to-door, business-to-business search of the premises and found a door open to a building that was not rented. An officer searched the building and found (the child) in there."

Reynolds said the boy was found unharmed around 6 p.m. and said it appeared he ran away from his parents and hid.

The public was notified of the missing child yesterday by A Child is Missing, an organization that automatically calls area phone numbers to provide information about missing children.

"We gather the information, provide it to the organization and they are able to choose a geographic area we want them to automatically dial," Reynolds said. "It leaves messages giving a description of the child, the last-seen locations and provides a number for a police point of contact."

Reynolds said he was unsure of the number of telephone numbers contacted by the organization, but said dispatch reported receiving hundreds of calls with general information fitting the description of what the child was described as wearing.

"In general it’s a good program," Reynolds said. "Phones start ringing immediately."

Reynolds said there is no cost for the city to use the program and said it’s the first step his department uses when a child is first reported missing.

 

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