New York announces task force on missing person cases involving women and girls who are Black, Indigenous or people of color
NEW YORK -- A new task force will address discrepancies in how New York investigates cases of missing women and girls who are Black, Indigenous or people of color.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday authorized establishing the Missing BIPOC Women and Girls Task Force, which will also develop policies to increase community education, the governor's office said.
According to the FBI, out of more than 271,000 cases of missing women and girls nationwide, 43% were Black, Indigenous or people of color.
"The statistics are alarming: thousands of women and girls who are Black, Indigenous or people of color go missing every year. We have a moral obligation to treat these cases with the care and seriousness they deserve, and this new Task Force will be a critical part of that effort," Hochul said.
The task force's nine members will include representatives from the Office of Family and Children's Services, the Division of Criminal Justice Services, New York State Police and members appointed by the State Legislature.
The task force will report its findings and recommendations within two years, according to the announcement from the governor's office.
On Tuesday, Hochul signed a controversial piece of legislation ordering a commission to study the history of slavery in New York state and what reparations could look like.
