On June 18, 1983, six year old Regina Mae Armstrong was abducted by a stranger as she played with her sister outside of her Orlando apartment. Her remains were recovered three years later but the suspect has never been identified. The Orlando Police Department wants to prevent history from repeating itself.

There have been increasing amounts of cases in recent years regarding young children being abducted, sexually battered and killed in Florida. Several have occurred all around the Central Florida area therefore the Orlando Police Department wants to take a proactive approach in our community.

The Orlando Police Department and the Office of the Mayor will be launching a Child Safety Campaign titled “Buddy Up” on May 25, 2010 in conjunction with National Missing Children Day. The campaign focuses on increasing awareness in children and parents about the dangers children face today regarding child abduction.

The campaign will continue throughout the summer and will promote key messages to children that will empower them to make safe decisions and encourage parents to talk with their children about how to minimize the risks of falling victim to child abduction. These messages will be delivered through various media outlets as well as educational presentations through School Resource and Community Involvement programs. This campaign will also be the educational basis for Orlando Police Department Community Involvement Section’s presentation in this year’s National Night Out Goes to Summer Camp.

The Orlando Police Department is highly regarded within the law enforcement community as a progressive agency. The members of this agency have made a commitment to fulfill the mission of the Orlando Police Department, “Keeping Orlando a safe city by reducing crime and maintaining livable neighborhoods”.

Talk to your kids today about these safety tips and help us make this campaign a success!