NY NY - Patrick Alford, 7, Brooklyn, 22 Jan 2010 - #2

[elepher50]

The NYPD will begin handing over files this week from its probe into the disappearance two years ago of a boy placed by the city in foster care.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/cops_share_foster_files_G0B4w7nrm7fYm79urnKXNO

 

[LMax]

http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...seNum=1139843&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/foster_fiasco_2t4PoiyY60swRmOCmHCVXN

I do not like the way this article is written at all. They state that Patrick is "on the run". Really? How can a 7-year-old boy be "on the run". Ugh.

We did learn some new things in the article, though. When Patrick was "taken from his mother", he wasn't actually living with her in the first place. He had been living at an aunt’s house because of his mom's drug problems. So why not give him back to his aunt? Or to his father?

Child-welfare workers lied in a sworn affidavit by “falsely representing to the court” there was “an imminent danger to the child’s life” if he was not immediately removed, “when in truth” young Patrick “was in no danger, imminent or otherwise, from continuing in his aunt’s care,” the documents state.

When ACS workers met again with the aunt two weeks later, they even deemed her suitable to serve as a temporary guardian for the boy. But for reasons that are unclear, the child nevertheless continued to remain in the foster home until his disappearance.

We also learned that Patrick has "documented emotional and educational issues" and tried to run away because of "psychiatric problems". Well...you took the poor 7-YEAR-OLD CHILD away from every family he knew, probably out of his school and away from his friends, threw him into a foster home where his primary language was NOT spoken, and never even gave him a hint that he would be reunited with his family. I think ANY "normal" child might have some "issues" after being thrown into that situation.

Ugh.

Where are you, Patrick?

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/foster_fiasco_2t4PoiyY60swRmOCmHCVXN

 

[elepher50]

All you say is true SheWhoMustNotBeNamed - hopefully the police files will paint a different picture. Patrick is not on the run - him being 7 years old and on the run does NOT make good sense at all.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

The NYPD will begin handing over files this week from its probe into the disappearance two years ago of a boy placed by the city in foster care.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/cops_share_foster_files_G0B4w7nrm7fYm79urnKXNO

Hopefully some new eyes will be able to FIND PATRICK.

 

[Kat]

http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...seNum=1139843&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US

Man, look at that handsome face. He looks so much like my nephew did at that age. (my nephew is a grown man now) it just makes my heart ache.

 

[JeannieC]

This breaks my heart. I just hope and pray someone is taking care of him and he is out of harms way. It has been so long and he's just a baby. How could this have happened to such an innocent child.

My prayers are with him always.

 

[elepher50]

When the police department balked, Lerner asked the court to intervene, arguing in a July court filing that "it would be futile to commence our own attempt to locate [Alford] without learning what actions had been undertaken." Those actions appear to be quite extensive: According to a New York Daily News report, the police have so far interviewed more than 14,000 people and scrutinized 81 surveillance videos as part of their effort to find Alford. Lerner said in an e-mail this week that he is not authorized to speak about the police file aspect of the case.

http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlaw...rates-in-skaddens-search-for-missing-boy.html

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Well geez. *I* (or anyone else following this case) could have told them what actions had already been taken. They didn't need access to the files for that.

Now, if they're going to comb through the details of all 14,000 interviewees and 80+ surveillance videos again, that's a different story entirely. Do I have faith that they are going to take those actions? Nope.

 

[JeannieC]

Interviewed 14,000 people or asked, "Have you seen this child?". 14,000 interviews is a very high number. Speaking to someone on the street or at a store is not imo an interview.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Yes, you are most likely right. Very unlikely that they did 14,000 sit-down interviews.

But, they did talk to all 6,000 residents of his apartment building. Most were probably very quick. "Have you seen him? Anything else you can tell us about his habits or behaviors? K thanks."

They also did over 9,000 door knocks. Not sure if that's in addition to the 6,000 or including those. Also not sure if they counted those as "interviews" too. Probably.

As far as in-depth interviews... Seven registered sex offenders near the apartment complex were interviewed, as were 28 bus drivers, seven Brooklyn car service employees, and 21 family members, friends, and acquaintances. That adds up to 63.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Skadden Wins NYPD's Cooperation in Search for Missing Boy

[snip]

The sharing of files comes after the Skadden lawyers agreed to sign a protective order in which they pledged to keep the files' contents confidential and to provide police with any new information they uncover that could help determine the missing boy's whereabouts, according to court documents. The order was signed on November 28, Alford's ninth birthday.

[snip]

A status conference in the case is scheduled for January 27. Alford's parents and representatives of the city's child services agency and St. Vincent's Services are scheduled to be deposed in March.

http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlaw...rates-in-skaddens-search-for-missing-boy.html

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Foster fiasco
Boy on run two years after 'bungle'

It’s a colossal foster-care nightmare that ended with the disappearance of a 7-year-old boy two years ago — and it didn’t have to happen.

Top-notch lawyers appointed by a judge to represent the interests of missing Patrick Alford claim that the child, who vanished from his Brooklyn foster home, could have been safe today if not for glaring missteps by city child-welfare workers.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/foster_fiasco_2t4PoiyY60swRmOCmHCVXN#ixzz1gAp8Skf1
​

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Cops share foster files

The NYPD will begin handing over files this week from its probe into the disappearance two years ago of a boy placed by the city in foster care.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/cops_share_foster_files_G0B4w7nrm7fYm79urnKXNO#ixzz1gApJgcM6

Skadden Wins NYPD's Cooperation in Search for Missing Boy

After months of legal wrangling, the New York Police Department has agreed to cooperate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom attorneys working pro bono to help find a boy who was a 7-year-old ward of the city's foster care system when he went missing almost two years ago.

More: http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlaw...rates-in-skaddens-search-for-missing-boy.html
​

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

A status conference on January 27 (five days after the 2 year anniversary). So, no news until then? *sigh*

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

23 months today.

 

[FrayedKnot]

Thanks for bumping this.

What a sweet, hopeful face. I just don't know at whom to be angry. CPS for dropping the ball? LE for calling Patrick a runaway? Or his parents who put him in a position that CPS and LE even had to be involved?

Can I just be mad at them all?

Maybe it's because it is Christmas, but I just want to open up the door to my little home and have every single one of these missing babies just walk right in and eat cookies and sleep in a warm, safe place.

 

[cocolafay]

It's Christmas Eve and I just had to say that I still think of and pray for Patrick all the time.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Merry Christmas Patrick.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

May 2012 be the year that Patrick is found.