It
is the mission of the FBI's Crimes Against Children Unit to provide a quick
and effective response to all incidents of crimes against children.
The first few hours after a child is abducted are critical,
and that is why we have established the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment
(CARD) Teams.
The CARD Teams are designed to deploy teams of 4–6 experienced personnel
to provide on-the-ground investigative, technical, and resource assistance
to state and local law enforcement. The CARD Teams consist of Crimes Against
Children investigators who have in-depth experience in child abduction
cases. The nationwide CARD Team consists of 48 members, with two full teams
serving each region of the country. They work closely with FBI Behavioral
Analysis Unit representatives, National Center for the Analysis of Violent
Crime
Coordinators, and Crimes Against Children Coordinators.
In addition to their unique expertise, CARD Teams are capable of quickly
establishing an on-site command post to centralize investigative efforts
and operations. Other assets they bring to the table include a new mapping
tool to identify and locate registered sex offenders in the area, national
and international lead coverage, and the Child Abduction Response Plan
to guide investigative efforts.
CARD Teams are primarily involved in non-family child abductions, ransom
child abductions, and mysterious disappearances of children. They work
with state and local law enforcement to protect and save the lives of innocent
children.