Organizational History
Formed August 24th, 1984, the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children (COMEC) is a non-profit charitable organization that promotes the safety and protection of all children. COMEC was formed as a collaborative effort between the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County and the Memphis Police Department. Thousands of children and families in the community have benefited from the prevention and intervention services that COMEC provides. COMEC works to promote the safeguarding of our children from child predators, abductors, drug dealers, gangs and any person who might seek to harm or exploit them. COMEC has received letters of support from various city officials – Police Chief Larry A. Godwin, Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr., and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, Jr.
COMEC’s Program Activities
AMBER Alert Assistance: Parents/Guardians, Police Departments and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Executive Director Len Edwards is the AMBER Alert Coordinator for West Tennessee.
Other activities include:
- Child Safety Program (Includes Child ID Program – Photos & Fingerprints)
- Internet Safety Programs
- Drug Education Counselor – 1 on staff (counseling for drugs/truancy/behavior/alcohol)
- Community Outreach Program: health fairs, information booths, child safety presentations, drug prevention presentations, speakers
- Teen Drug Hotline (901-572-DRUGS)
- COMEC Teen Drug Testing Program
- Free drug testing for parents wishing to test their teens
- Substance screen testing done through the Baptist Minor Medical Centers
- Free Drug Test Kits – Home testing program for parents
COMEC assists parents with search for missing children (“what to do”; creating posters; notifying others who can assist in the search, canvassing neighborhoods, checking with friends & schools, working with law enforcement)
COMEC also collaborates with the Memphis & Shelby County Juvenile Court by making presentations several times each month to children, families and various groups that participate in the Juvenile Court Tours. Since April 3, 2007, COMEC has made presentations to 472 children on the dangers of running away, drug use, truancy and juvenile crime.
COMEC also supports Governor Phil Bredesen’s METH-Free Tennessee campaign to end the creation, sale and distribution of this deadly drug in Tennessee.
Target Population: Any parent or child (up to age 18) needing our assistance and support.
Performance Results
Period: January 2007 – December 2007 (YTD)
| Amber Alerts & Training Conferences | 5 |
| Child Photo Identification Cards (Six photo ID events held YTD) | 3,100 |
| Fingerprint Kits Distributed | 3,500 |
| Number of sessions assisting parents with a missing child | 31 |
| Juvenile Court Tour Presentations by COMEC | 16 |
| Number of children attending COMEC presentations | 472 |
| Number of counseling sessions (parents & children) | 153 |
| Number of calls to teen drug hotline | 532 |
| Community outreach program – COMEC participation | 74 |
| Number of At-Home drug tests for teens distributed | 3,985 |
| Number of Laboratory drug tests provided for teens | 119 |
| Drug Education Counselor | 1 on staff |
Commission on Missing & Exploited Children (COMEC)
616 Adams Avenue, Room 200, Memphis, TN 38105
Phone (901) 405-8441
Fax (901) 405-8542,
Email:
Website: http://www.comec.org/
Tax Status: 501(c)(3), Federal ID#: 62-1406329