A powerful multi-agency initiative led by the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF) has successfully rescued 25 missing children across six counties in Florida, according to a recent press release from the NCPTF.
The three-day operation, which concluded on June 18, has developed new investigative leads in several other missing persons cases and is being hailed as a model for coordinated child protection efforts nationwide.
Coordinated Action Across Counties
The massive operation involved a coalition of partners, including Operation Light Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, along with over 20 other agencies.
A dedicated team of 70 professionals — law enforcement officers, child advocates, social workers, prosecutors, and nonprofit leaders — worked together out of the Jacksonville office of Operation Light Shine.
According to WJAX, Kevin Branzetti, CEO of the NCPTF, said the children found ranged in age from 7 to 17 years old, and some had been missing for over 400 days. Others had only recently disappeared.
