KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Pictures of missing children and their contacts can now be seen on electronic billboards placed at strategic locations across the island, as part of the Ananda Alert System.

Registrar of the Office of the Children’s Registry, Greig Smith, told JIS News that the system designed to ensure the speedy and safe recovery of a child in the unfortunate event that he or she is missing or abducted.

“We have taken the decision to ensure that children are recovered in the quickest possible time and so we have partnered with our service providers and agencies to have electronic billboards for children island wide,” he said.

Smith said the billboards, which have been carrying reports of missing children since September, are located in Half-Way-Tree, New Kingston and Cross-Roads in St Andrew; Spanish Town in St Catherine; Montego Bay,  St James; Mandeville in Manchester and in Ocho Rios St Ann.

“We want to encourage you to take a look, because the child that you see on the billboard, you might be able to save him or her by calling the Office of the Children’s Registry at toll free: 1-888-PROTECT,” he said.

Smith said an evaluation of the venture will be done after three months to see “how effective those boards have been in recovering our children.”

Meanwhile, he said the OCR is currently in dialogue with a number of telecommunication service providers with a view to expanding the service.

“So, if you go into the tax office or a fast food restaurant you should be able to see photographs of missing children on video monitors or television, so you can call the OCR if you recognise a child or you can call the police, so we can recover these children in the quickest possible time,” he added.