http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np...8&u_sid=1101494
Published Friday
May 21, 2004
Missing Persons Week starts on June 13
BY LESLIE REED
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - At the request of an advocacy group for missing people, Gov. Mike Johanns has declared June 13 through 19 Nebraska Missing Persons Week.
June 13 is the third anniversary of the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski of Omaha. He was 19 at the time.
Jolkowski's parents, Jim and Kelly Jolkowski, founded Project Jason to improve public awareness about missing people, to educate families about what to do if a family member disappears and to support the families of missing people.
The nonprofit group last week helped an Indianapolis family locate a man believed lost in the Omaha area, although it turned out he had gone to visit a casino without telling his family.
Kelly Jolkowski also is seeking legislation to create a missing persons clearinghouse with the Nebraska State Patrol. She argues that the sooner information is disseminated about a person who's missing, the more likely that person will be found.
More than 850,000 people are reported missing over the course of a year in the United States, according to Jolkowski. Although most are found, as of March 21, 2003, more than 97,000 people were unaccounted for, more than half of them children.
"Every missing person is someone's son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister, husband or wife," said the proclamation signed Wednesday by Johanns. "It is important to recognize the families and communities of missing persons and heighten public interest in the continued search for those missing persons."
Kelly Jolkowski said she hopes to arrange a series of appearances across the state for Project Jason during Missing Persons Week. Details are being arranged.
Photos can be seen here:
http://gov.nol.org/proclamations/may04/missingpersons.html
The proclamation reads as follows:
Nebraska State Missing Person's Week June 13-19, 2004
WHEREAS, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime
Information Center there were 876,213 missing person entries (juveniles and
adults) in the year 2000. An average of 2,001 children disappeared daily,
including children from the state of Nebraska, and
WHEREAS, as of March 31, 2003 there were 97,297 active missing person cases
in the United States. Of those missing, approximately 54,184 are juveniles
and nearly 43,113 were reports of individuals eighteen and older. These
statistics include citizens of the state of Nebraska, and
WHEREAS, in response to these alarming trends, nonprofit organizations such
as Project Jason, were founded for the purpose of educating the public in an
effort to prevent future abductions and disappearances, and to provide
assistance to families of the missing, and
WHEREAS, all missing persons deserve to be searched for regardless of their
age; and
WHEREAS, citizens, media, and law enforcement must be made aware of the
plight of missing persons regardless of their age; and
WHEREAS, families and communities of missing persons should have this week
to offer much needed support and to keep public interest alive active in the
continued search for those missing persons; and
WHEREAS, our awareness, support, efforts, and search for missing persons
must continue, and
WHEREAS, every missing person is someone's son or daughter, father or
mother, brother or sister, husband or wife, and
WHEREAS, the state of Nebraska is committed to the safety and well-being of
all its citizens, both children and adults, and
NOW, THEREFORE I, Mike Johanns, Governor of the state of Nebraska, do hereby proclaim the week of June 13-19, 2004 as
MISSING PERSON'S WEEK
in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of the
observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, and cause the Great Seal of the State of Nebraska to be affixed this nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord Two Thousand Four.
Mike Johanns, Governor
