The website network was originally started in America by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington DC which is a government funded not for profit organisation. The web site network is managed by Computer Associates (CA) as a charitable enterprise. The site is also supported by a wide range of other companies (see web site for full list). The idea came from the discovery by Charles Wang (CEO of CA at the time) when a friend’s children were abducted that there was no quick and easy way to transfer pictures around between police forces. The web site was set up to do this and is now used by over 17,000 police forces in America. The web site is also established in Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, and Great Britain. The intention is that it will eventually be used worldwide by police services.

The equipment, training and management costs for the web site are provided through corporate charity. An Garda Síochána Missing Person Bureau has been supplied with a computer, scanner and printer as well as modem links to put entries onto the site. The only costs involved are staff time to input information and cancel after location and telephone costs of sending the information downline.

All hits on the site are logged and can be tracked back to the originating computer. This could be an investigative tool if a child featured became a victim. The site has been running for some time in America and there is no evidence of the site being used by predatory paedophiles etc. The information on the site is on two levels: a public domain and police domain. The police side is protected by password and encryption technology that has proved highly resistant to ‘hackers’.

The only hard and fast rule is that the child must have been under 18 at the time of going missing. As this is a relatively new venture, it is possible to put historic cases on that fulfill this caveat. If the case is some years old, it is possible to apply age progression techniques to make the picture a better current likeness. In simple terms the web site is suitable for any child.

Before a child can be placed on the site, the parent or guardian must sign a Consent Form. An Garda Síochána has devised a common form which can be forwarded for local use. The Missing Person Bureau and investigating officer for the case must agree that this is a suitable case for the site. Once it is agreed the case can be entered on the site.

An Information Sharing Agreement has been devised to agree on these responsibilities. In simple terms, An Garda Síochána always retains ownership of the investigation and the entry and responsibility for notification if the child is found. An Garda Síochána will ensure that all information is placed and removed on the site as expeditiously as possible.

No. This is not a Garda system as such but managed for the use of An Garda Síochána by NCMEC. It is very important that members of An Garda Síochána only use the PULSE System as the final arbiter of whether a child is a missing person as the site will not be updated 24 hours a day and so cannot be 100% up to date at all times.