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NJ hospital to increase security after infant abductions

Healthcare Security Weekly, September 26, 2005

Two infant abductions at Newark (NJ) University Hospital has resulted in emergency approval of more security on the hospital's maternity floor, reports The Star-Ledger.

Both abductions involved the infants' mothers fleeing with the newborns to avoid losing parental rights, though police caught up to both mothers within hours of the abductions.

Authorities didn't charge either mother with criminal charges because both still had legal custody of the babies at the time, though the state Division of Youth and Family Services has since taken the infants into custody.

Hospital officials voted to approve the purchase of an $800,000 security system last week, which they will start to install on October 13, but which will take more than three months to complete.

The new system will include alarms that sound if someone attempts to remove an infant from designated areas, triggering automatic elevator shutdowns. The new system also calls for a security guard to be on the floor at all times.

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