The task force gathered in Garden City beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29 and worked through Thursday, Oct. 1 to analyze dozens of missing children reports across Nassau and Suffolk counties, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced Friday, Oct. 2.
“This operation brought together the expertise and resources needed to find vulnerable young people and help protect them from exploitation and harm,” Hochul said in a statement.
Of the 34 located kids, 18 were from Nassau County, 12 from Suffolk County and four from Queens, Newsday reported. Multiple others were located but are now adults and declined to return home, officials said.
More than 100 people with nearly 40 agencies were part of the task force, officials said. The group was organized by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, which put together a similar task force in Westchester County in February and located 43 missing kids.
“This multi-day operation allowed us to pool our resources and work alongside our law enforcement partners to focus on finding these young people and bringing them home safely,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said.
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