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CANON U.S.A. AND THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED
CHILDREN DONATE CANON DIGITAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT TO NEW ORLEANS POLICE
DEPARTMENT AS PART OF THE CANON4KIDS PROGRAM
NEW ORLEANS, August 31, 2006 - - In August 2005, Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita resulted in devastating loss for the Gulf Coast of the
United States. The city of New Orleans was particularly impacted and they
are still working to rebuild from the disaster. Today, digital imaging
equipment donated to the New Orleans Police Department by Canon U.S.A.,
Inc., through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®
(NCMEC) will further help in the rebuilding efforts.
A Canon digital camera, scanner, camcorder, printer and copier were presented
to the Juvenile Division of the New Orleans Police Department at the International
Homicide Investigators Association’s Annual Training Symposium.
The donation is made possible by the Canon4Kids program, a partnership
between Canon U.S.A. and NCMEC. The program distributes equipment to law
enforcement and educates parents and guardians about tips for taking and
maintaining updated photos of their children, one of the most important
tools available in case a child is missing. As part of the program, more
than 600 pieces of donated Canon equipment (digital cameras, fax-phones,
printers and scanners) have been distributed to law-enforcement agencies
in 37 states, Puerto Rico and internationally.
“Supporting the efforts of law enforcement professionals is a vital
part of NCMEC’s mission,” said Ernie Allen, president and
chief executive officer, NCMEC. “We are honored to collaborate with
our long time partner Canon U.S.A. to help support the New Orleans Police
Department in the important work that they do.”
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, NCMEC sent Team ADAM
consultants equipped with Canon digital technology to the affected areas
in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas to help identify and reunite
children and families that had been displaced by the storms. On March
16, 2006, the last of 5,192 missing or displaced children reported to
NCMEC’s Katrina Missing Persons Hotline was reunited with their
family.
“Through our partnership with NCMEC, we hope to let everyone know
that digital photographs can play a key role in helping law enforcement
locate missing or displaced children,” said Joe Adachi, president
and chief executive officer, Canon U.S.A. “The ability to help law
enforcement, such as the New Orleans Police Department, reunite children
with their families using our technology is very gratifying for our entire
company.”
Canon U.S.A. and NCMEC have collaborated since 1997 to raise public awareness
about the growing issue of child abduction. The current Canon4Kids program
also features pictures of missing children along with NCMEC hotline (1-800-THE-LOST)
in various venues. To date, 230 children’s photos have been submitted
to Canon and 118 have been recovered. As part of the effort, PGA TOUR
golfer Briny Baird and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour
golfer Michelle McGann each place a photo of a local missing child on
their golf bags during each tournament in which they play. To date, Briny
has hosted 163 pictures of missing children of which 35 featured have
been recovered and Michelle has hosted 57 pictures of which 20 missing
children featured have been recovered.
In addition to today’s donation, Canon Group and its employees
donated in excess of $1.4 million dollars in support of relief efforts
for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi in September
2005. The company also donated a Canon CXDI-50G Digital Radiography System
to Slidell Memorial Hospital in Slidell, Louisiana, to assist with its
rebuilding efforts.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. NCMEC’s congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting
mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 408,700
leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement
with more than 122,600 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery
of more than 104,900 children. For more information about NCMEC, call
its toll-free, 24 hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site
at www.missingkids.com.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial
imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired
Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top
100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent
holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2005, with
global revenues of $31.8 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
CONTACT:
Canon U.S.A. Web Site:
http://www.usa.canon.com
Editorial Contact:
Mike DeMeo, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
516-328-4928
For sales info/customer support:
mdemeo@cusa.canon.com
1-800-OK-CANON
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