topics:
(WKRC) – Eight missing children, ages 13 to 17, were recovered on Oahu during a recent joint state and federal operation, authorities said.
The multiagency effort, known as Operation Shine the Light, involved the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, the Hawaii Department of Human Services and the FBI, according to a press release issued Jan. 23 that PEOPLE reported. Two of the youths had been reported missing as runaways more than a year ago.
Launched in 2020, Operation Shine the Light focuses on locating at-risk and endangered youth on Oahu through coordinated law enforcement and social services efforts.
Elladine Olevao, acting administrator of the DHS Social Services Division, said the effort shows the impact of “coordinated action, shared expertise and unified commitment to child safety and well-being,” according to PEOPLE.