Missing child - PARKER

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you all for being here.I'm Acting Inspector Rod McNeil, and before I begin,I would like to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of everyone involved in this search.Since Parker was reported missing, the Calgary Police Service has had significant and coordinated response, supported by investigators, patrol officers, specialized units, civilian staff, and hundreds of Calgary Police Service members who have worked tirelessly around the clock.There is nothing more important to us than finding Parker.We are pulling out all the stops and using every available resource in our efforts to locate him.

I also want to thank our many partners who have come together in support of this effort, including Alberta Search and Rescue, local search and rescue teams, community organizers, and the many agencies that have offered resources, expertise, assistance throughout this investigation.Most importantly, I want to thank the members of the public.The response from Calgarians has been extraordinary.From sharing information and reviewing video footage to checking properties, assisting search teams, the community support has been invaluable.I'd also like to take a moment to speak about the Alberta Emergency Alert that was issued today as part of our ongoing efforts to locate Parker.First and foremost, we want to thank the government of Alberta for its support in this investigation for an improving an exemption that allows us to use the emergency alert system in this unique circumstances.

While this was not a true amber alert, Parker is a vulnerable autistic child and we are deeply concerned for his well -being given the length of time he has been missing and his specificvulnerabilities.The Government of Alberta recognized the urgency of the situation and worked with us to make this alert possible.We are grateful for the partnerships and the commitment shown to helping bring Parker home safely.This alert allowed us to quickly reach Calgarians with critical information and generate additional awareness as search and investigative efforts continue.It has asked residents in Calgary, particularly in the communities of Cambrian Heights, Thorncliffe, North Haven, Highwood, Highwood Park, Check their properties for any sign of Parker.

We know Albertans care deeply about the safety of children, and we are hopeful that expanding the awareness through the Alberta Emergency System will generate new information that may help us locate him.Again, we want to sincerely thank the Government of Alberta for the support and cooperation.Our thoughts remain with Parker's family.who continue to face this incredibly difficult and uncertain time.Every resource, every partnership, every additional set of eyes help as we continue our efforts to find Parker and bring him home safely.With that, I'd like to turn it over to Acting Staff Sergeant Scott Gunnarsson for an update on the search and the investigation.

Thank you, Staff Sergeant.My name is Staff Sergeant Scott Gunnarsson, and thank you all for being here.continue to ask for the public's help in finding Parker.That means that we're asking the entire city, not just the communities that are close by Thorncliffe, butthe entire community to check their yards.check their garages, check their sheds, check their RVs, check their hot tubs.

Anywhere that someone of his size could fit, we're asking people to check that.Again, Parker is 11 years old, he is autistic, and he functions at a three -year -old level, which is, of course, one of the reasons why we are so concerned and why we have put forward such an exhaustive search.Today, we released a picture from closed -circuit television of Parker's last location.That came from the 5 ,000 block of Travis Crescent Northwest.It is our hope that this picture will allow the public to see Parker as he was last known to us with the clothing that we believe he was wearing.So we're asking the public to look at that picture, share that picture with their friends, their family, their neighbours.

The more eyes we get on that picture, the more likely we are to be successful.We've dedicated a significant amount of resources to finding Parker.We've been working as investigators around the clock since his disappearance came to our attention.We've had at least 30 tips from the public that we are dealing with.Our CCTV review people have gone over at least 50 hours of surveillance footage from the general area and continue to work with that.And we've had at least 200 members from the police service assisting in the investigation.

We are not going to stop until we find Parker.In addition to the resources and the search partners that staff had mentioned, we've had at least 100 or more volunteer search organizations through Alberta Search and Rescue and the other partners that were mentioned yesterday.We'd like to thank them as well.We continue to use our air units, our mounted units,our canine units, our patrols, our mountain bike units.Everyone that we have available is now working to find Parker.

We're asking and we're reminding people not to go onto private property when they are looking.Stick to their own property and stick to public areas.And again, just as a reminder, when Parker is found, He is likely to be frightened.He's likely to be scared.So we need to be as gentle as possible if he is seen.So if a member of the public does see him, we're asking them that they call 9 -1 -1 right away once if they are certain that it is him so that we can deal with him as safely as possible.

Are there any questions?

From the time that he initially went missing to the time that like that last known video about him, how much time and how much distance between those two locations?

So that is about a two hour time period, and it is a distance of about five or six kilometers.And again, we haven't had a sighting of him since that time on the 16th.So we are now very quickly eclipsing the 48 -hour mark.

So this little fella can make quite a bit of distance over a limited amount of time, is that what you're telling me?

Yes, yes.He is, yes, he is.He's traveled very far before out of the Bay Area.We know that he can walk great distances if that's what he chooses to do.

You said the emergency alert was critical and helpful in engaging the public.We had an advocate that my colleague was speaking to earlier today who said that alert came 50 hours too late.Do you have any opinions on when this alert came out, maybe the process behind getting that alert sent as well?

Yeah, so there's certain criteria that have to bein order to do it and you know at the time that criteria wasn't met but like I said we're very very thankful to the government Alberta who realized this is a very unique situation and Parker, you know, is in great danger.So what changed?Well, you know, it was over 24 hours later and we still hadn't located this boy.So, you know, every moment counts.So we've worked together with the government to say, hey, you know, it may not be a true Amber Alert, but we need to reach as many Calgarians as we can in such a short amount of time.

So the government stepped up right away, made that a exemption and we were able to get that alert out.

It wasn't a matter of multiple requests over the last day or two?

No, no, like I said, we with our partners, we collaborated with the government and made that request and it happened.

Is the search area now officially, with all the space he's made, is it officially like the entire city limits now or what's the actual search radius?

We're asking the entire, oh go ahead.

No, like we're focused, it's certainly not the entire city, you know, I can't speak specifics about the, you know, because that's the search and rescues, but we're still contained kind of in that northwest, northeast, you know, section of those communities that I had mentioned earlier.Like, are we, you know, looking in, you know, Cranston right now?No.We have, you know, our information and through our search managers and the subject matter experts, we're still focused in on those communities that I had mentioned.

Just in terms of other concerns, of course, a missing boy, neurodivergent, that brings a lot of concerns, but also it's extremely hot out today.Is there concerns thathe may have been abducted or anything like that?Could you just speak to the layers of concern here?

Yeah, there's there's no information right now that I can tell you that would lead us to believe that he's been abducted.Like I say, in this case, you know, what we're hoping is that, you know, because Parker is scared, he's like as any child, you're away from home for more than, you know, 48 hours, you're going to be scared.So hopefully he's, you know, scared and he's just hiding somewhere or hunkered down.And that's why we have, like I said, like the staff sergeant mentioned, so many over 120 very highly trained volunteers search and rescue that are combing every inch of these neighborhoods and so it you know can take time right because it's a systematic search where we're going where we don't want to leave any stone unturned in the search.Is the heat creating a concern?I mean, it's creating a concern for, you know, like, of course, right, for our searchers, that kind of thing.

So our partners right at Alberta Health Services, you know, have come to help at our command post to make sure our volunteers are hydrated.We have a rehab station, that sort of thing.So we have all kinds of plans in place, you know, to help that.I, you know, I'm fortunate it's now that Parker's gone missing and it's not, minus 32 degrees.We'd have more of a concern.Thank you.

Thank you.Oh sorry, last question.Do you know if there's any other people missing in the Hageny, as an example, you know, just off the top of your head?Uh, no.Do you have a report?Something was reported to our station that something was found, an 11 -year -old was found in the Hageny just in the last 10 minutes.

In the last 10?

Yeah.

So, I don't put you on the spot.

No, unfortunately I've been dedicated to this search.so I'm unaware of other calls going on in the city.