With the data that we gathered combined with the ability for people to submit unoffical cases directly to us, we created a program to generate what we have come to refer to as "Missing Person Ads." Last July, we began displaying them on our sites (lanecountymugshots.com & oregoncrimenews.com) These ads have been displayed over half a million times since we began and people have started taking notice.

The ads rotate and give exposure to all missing persons (not just the most recent ones.) When a person clicks the ad, they are taken to a page with more information if it's available. In addition, these one-of-a-kind ads are HTML based instead of being a static graphic image which means they are optimized for use with assistive technology such as screen readers for the visually impaired.

As part of what we hope will help fund our project, we've provided a way for families and businesses to sponsor the ads.

In addition to the ads displaying on our own sites, every missing person's profile page will have an embed code that will facilitate easy placement on other sites. This concept will eventually create a large network of sites that will serve these ads. Users will be able to customize the size and shape of the ad.

Our missing person "ads" are continuing to reach a growing audience. We believe that they are making a difference in Lane County.

The number of missing people in Lane County currently averages 150.