It's easy to see how building a highway creates jobs fast. But can anti-child exploitation and child rescue work really be considered economic stimulus?

Absolutely. Here are the arguments for making child rescue an urgent spending priority for the economic stimulus (recovery) act:

Job Creation and Preservation:

1. Creates specialized and cutting-edge law enforcement jobs
2. Creates jobs for non-specialist first responders in law enforcement
3. Creates jobs in computer forensics
4. Preserves law enforcement jobs endangered by economic conditions
5. Prevents loss of specialized units and highly-trained specialists
6. Enables law enforcement agencies to increase high-tech personnel

1. Enables millions in computer hardware and software purchases immediately
2. Funds largest expansion of national law enforcement forensic capacity ever
3. Creates national corps of highly-specialized computer forensics experts

Speed of Ramp-Up

1. Task forces and programs already in place and ready
2. Huge backlog of leads ready to be worked now
3. Untrained law enforcement personnel can go to work with just 1-2 weeks of training as first responders working with seasoned investigators
4. Computer forensics personnel and resources will shorten current 6-9 month backlogs

Speed of Results:

1. State experience shows arrests and child rescues can be expected within 1-2 months
2. Law enforcement can now triage tens of thousands of leads to locate suspects with highest likelihood of having local victims. Many of these will result in immediate arrest warrants and rescues.
3. Millions in computer hardware and software can be purchased and deployed immediately

Performance Results and Accountability:

1. Concrete results similar to public works projects: jobs created, technology acquired, criminal justice statistics, child victims identified and protected
2. Demonstrable child abuse prevention and child protection results... not awareness and education programs
   

MORE INFORMATION:
Is Child Rescue Really Economic Stimulus? The Arguments to Use
"Shovel-Ready":  How Much Work is There to be Done?
$4 billion Obama Stimulus Changes Strategic Landscape
Background Information (including PROTECT Our Children Act)
Rep. Wasserman Schultz Press Release on passage of the PROTECT Our Children Act
Back to Main Economic Recovery-Child Rescue Page