Leland M. McMasters
Chief of Police
Rogersville Police Department
11-7-99
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Leland McMasters and I have the honor of
being the Chief of
Police of Rogersville, Missouri. What makes that special is the fact that we were chosen
to host the first ACA host program that was ever installed, thanks to Ed (Thornton), Vince
(Albers) and Melanie (Flood).
I attended a demonstration of the program at Ed's office in Springfield this summer and I
was chosen out of the
crowd to set at the keyboard and do what Vince told me to do. I felt privileged to to this
until I looked down and
found that there were no letters on the keyboard. So things went a little slow but we
managed to get through it and I was very much impressed.
When I left the demonstration instead of going home, I returned to Rogersville and told
the City Manager that we
had to have this program and the rest is history.
What I would like to say is that since these "BIKERS" invaded my office and
started working with me and getting
this program going I have been amazed at the caring and hard working people that have
jumped on this thing and
are determined to make it work.
I hope with all my heart that I never have to use it, but there is no doubt in my mind
that this program will save the
life of a child in the near future. The reason I say that is because the system without a
doubt is the future of
recovering lost and abducted children, and I am grateful that my department was chosen to
be the first to have it,
and I certainly hope that my department is the last to have to use it.
I check my e-mail every morning to see what else is going on around the country and it
gives me a warm feeling to
read about the new contacts going in, and it is because of people like Vince, Ed, Melanie,
Shay, Marlene and who knows for sure how many people that have put so much effort into
getting this program going.
There is no doubt in my mind, that before this is done the ACA system will be nation wide and
I am proud to be on
board.
Thanks.
Leland M. McMasters
Chief of Police
Rogersville Police Department
Rogersville, MO
