What is 'Operation Not Forgotten'? How a cross-agency op rescued 39 missing children in Atlanta and Macon
US Marshals have rescued dozens of endangered and missing Georgian kids in the past month in 'Operation Not Forgotten' that was conducted over a two-week period in August in the cities of Atlanta and Macon.
According to officials, the operation resulted in the rescue of 26 children and the safe location of 13 children. While the operation was going on, nine arrests were made. According to WHNT, investigators cleared 26 arrest warrants and filed additional charges for alleged crimes related to sex trafficking, parental kidnapping, registered sex offender violations, drugs and weapons possession along with custodial interference.
"Operation Not Forgotten was the culmination of several months of planning and coordination between Georgia Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Georgia Office of the Attorney General, Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta," according to the official website of the US Marshals,
"In 2019, the USMS helped recover 295 missing children based on requests for assistance from law enforcement and has contributed to the recovery of a missing child in 75 percent of cases received. Additionally, of the missing children recovered, 66 percent were recovered within seven days of the USMS assisting with the case. Since its partnership with NCMEC began in 2005, the agency has recovered more than 1,800 missing children," the site added.
"The US Marshals Service is fully committed to assisting federal, state, and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children, in addition to their primary fugitive apprehension mission," said Director of the Marshals Service Donald Washington. "The message to missing children and their families is that we will never stop looking for you."
Some officials said that the missing children were "considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area, based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse and medical or mental health conditions."
"When we track down fugitives, it’s a good feeling to know that we’re putting the bad guy behind bars. But that sense of accomplishment is nothing compared to finding a missing child," said Darby Kirby, Chief of the Missing Child Unit. "It's hard to put into words what we feel when we rescue a missing child, but I can tell you that this operation has impacted every single one of us out here. We are working to protect them and get them the help they need."