North Central Colorado Regional Child Abduction Response Team earns national certification

Group photo with NCCR-CART and representatives with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Programs

Date: 05/04/2026

Westminster, Colo — On Monday, May 4, representatives with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Programs presented the North Central Colorado Regional Child Abduction Response Team (NCCR-CART) with their national certification, recognizing a multi-agency commitment to rapid, coordinated response in child abduction cases.

The NCCR-CART was formed in 2014 as a collaborative, multi-agency initiative to help local jurisdictions respond quickly and effectively to cases involving abducted or endangered children. Over the past decade, the NCCR-CART has responded to missing children's cases across the Denver Metropolitan region, supporting local law enforcement agencies, communities, children and families. 

This national certification follows a recent full-scale training exercise in Westminster that brought together nearly 20 agencies from across the region. The scenario simulated the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl and required a unified response involving door-to-door canvassing, K-9 searches, digital forensics and surveillance analysis. 

During the exercise, federal evaluators assessed the team’s performance in real time, measuring coordination, communication, command structure, and overall effectiveness against national CART standards. This achievement highlights the importance of the ongoing collaboration across Colorado agencies to enhance regional readiness to safely recover missing children. 

NCCR-CART Team Commander Tim Read speaking

National Child Abduction Response Team Program Manager/AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program Derek VanLuchene speaking

About NCCR-CART 

The NCCR-CART was established in 2014 as a multi-agency effort to support local jurisdictions in rapidly responding to cases involving abducted or endangered children. The team is comprised of several law enforcement agencies within Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, Colorado consisting of both sworn and professional staff. 

Recognizing that a timely, efficient, and coordinated response is critical to a successful outcome, CART members have developed a clear organizational structure with defined roles and responsibilities for each position. CART does not take over investigations; rather, it provides management resources, coordination support, and specialized expertise to assist local agencies. 

Certificate of Achievement presented to the North Central Colorado Regional CART