A Hard Anniversary
By Albert B. Kelly
As we approach September this year people have a lot on their minds, everything from how school is going to unfold for all involved and whether we’re going to have a second wave of Covid-19 infections to worrying about paying rent, making the bills, and who is going to win come Election Day. These are all valid worries and how much weight you assign to these or other issues largely depends on your circumstances.
But as we approach September; the thoughts of many in the community are with and about Dulce Alavez. I say that because September 16th will mark one year since five-year old Dulce (now six) went missing from City Park as she was playing with her younger brother. As has been reported in recent news stories about Dulce’s disappearance, law enforcement officials think the most logical explanation is that she was abducted in what is viewed as a crime of opportunity. If there is one thing that is true, it is that all hold on to the hope that Dulce is alive because there has been nothing to suggest otherwise.
The disappearance of a child is a families’ worst nightmare and measured against that, trying to navigate school and all of the other disruptions caused by this pandemic certainly ranks as a lesser burden. As I said, the weight you assign to something largely depends on your perspective. A few months ago as spring broke through, I noted that Dulce was not far from my thoughts given my time in City Park and the many reminders there, chief among them Dulce’s tree dedicated in her honor.
And as I write this, Dulce is not far from the mind of our law enforcement ecosystem as they continue to follow-up on every lead and piece of information that they find or that comes to them from others. I use the word “ecosystem” because the work is ongoing up and down the law enforcement hierarchy whether local, county, state, or federal- each leverages its strengths to the extent possible- whether local community-based knowledge or international experience, each layer has brought its skills and powers to bear on this case.
This is as it should be, but I don’t imagine for a moment that any of that takes away the sense of grief felt by those who love Dulce nor does it remove the sense of helplessness and vulnerability felt by every parent and grandparent who has ever worried or agonized over the safety of their children or grandchildren, whether nearby or far away.
We can speculate, but we don’t know what happened and that lack of knowing is frightening to us. Grief of that type simply can’t be that random or so we hope and we push back against the idea that it could have happened to any one of us. We say but for this or that, the outcome would have been different. I understand the sentiment, but lacking any more information than we currently have, I think we have to guard against leveling condemnation against those most impacted.
But we still need some outlet for the sense of helplessness and vulnerability we feel and we still need those touchstones that remind us of our compassion and our willingness to provide aid and comfort. As we approach the one year mark, there will be various observances to remember Dulce, some by family and some by friends.
Regardless of the details, these are times to remember Dulce
and nurture the hope that we all hold for her safe return. I encourage anyone
who is moved to remember Dulce to keep an eye out for the various gatherings
and observances, but would ask that with all things in the age of Covid, anyone
attending such observances wear a mask and observe social distancing
requirements for the safety of all involved.
It goes without saying that if you have information about Dulce, even as we observe the one-year mark of her disappearance please come forward. No one will ask about your status should that be a concern, this is about Dulce. You can call the NJ State Police at 609-882-2000, ext. 2554 or the Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can send an anonymous text to TIP411 with “Bridgeton” in the message line.