Codes

I may have been a little slow to notice this since it came into being in the early 90s,but  living in a small town often means we don't have the same concerns as the large metropolitan areas. What I am talking about in particular is the "Code Adam" program. I noticed a small blue and white sign in two local chain stores and wondered what they meant. In short,when a child is reported missing a security protocol is initiated. A description of the child is obtained,then the employee goes to an in-store phone and pages "Code Adam" and describes the child over the intercom. As the announcement is made the store immediately begins monitoring all exits,and available staff begin looking for the child. Initially,the doors are not locked,only monitored so customers can come and go. If the child is not found within ten minutes the authorities are called. The code was named for Adam Walsh,who was abducted from a Sears store in Florida in 1981. The program was started by Wal-Mart in 1993. No matter what your feelings on the Wal-Mart chain,they do more than their share when it comes to crime prevention. You long time readers might recall they also help law enforcement agencies with their superior forensics labs around the world.