Missing Children and Law Enforcement: An Introduction (From Missing Children: The Law Enforcement Response, P 3-21, 1990, Martin L Forst, ed. -- See NCJ-125579)

• NCJ Number: 125580
• Author(s): M Forst
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The problem of missing children and homeless youth has received increased emphasis over the past decade, and media coverage has focused social and political attention on missing children and on agencies that handle missing children cases.

Abstract

Missing children cases can be categorized in terms of kidnaping, parental abduction, and runaways. Parental abductions are generally viewed by law enforcement personnel as far less serious than stranger abductions. The greatest difference of opinion among law enforcement officers concerning the problem of missing children, however, relates to runaway youth; most officers believe that runaways do not constitute a particularly serious problem. Law enforcement policies and procedures differ regarding the handling of various types of missing children cases. Almost all large law enforcement agencies have written policies for handling a report of a missing child. Most departments have age as a criterion for action in formal policies on missing persons, although the age breakdown is usually between adults and juveniles. In about half of the States, law enforcement personnel have a legal mandate to enter names of missing juveniles into the National Crime Information Center Missing Persons file. Many police departments still have a waiting period to take a report on or start an investigation of a missing child, and this practice has been subject to criticism. Issues in law enforcement's response to reports of missing children broadly encompass the establishment of policies, juvenile rights, status offender detention, and what priority should be placed on missing children.