NCJ Number
125586
Date Published
1990
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that 1.5 million children are missing in the United States each year.
Abstract
The reality of the missing children problem lies in the terminology used by law enforcement agencies to define what they mean by a missing child. Law enforcement must recognize the categories of missing children, parental abduction or custodial interference, and runaway youth. A recent national survey of law enforcement procedures for missing children indicates that most agencies treat the problem with an appropriate response level. New York City has devised specific strategies to address the needs of missing and runaway children. All reports of missing children are received by New York patrol officers at the scene of an incident or at a police station. There is no minimum time limit to be observed before a report is accepted. The officer receiving the report conducts an initial interview and obtains a description and other pertinent facts. If the child is 10 years of age or under, a patrol supervisor and a local precinct detective will respond and initiate an immediate preliminary search. If the child is over 10 years of age, the local police detective unit will be assigned to investigate the case and make a further assessment as to what other steps are necessary. A specialized missing persons squad is notified in both cases and assists in conducting a record check to determine if further information is available. The New York City Police Department has also instituted procedures for dealing with parental abduction cases and runaway youth. Law enforcement agencies in general should not follow a fixed strategy; rather, they should reach out to other service providers such as social workers, shelter advocates, and victim service agencies to get youth off the streets. 40 endnotes.