Guidelines & Curriculum

Investigating a missing person case can be one of the most challenging assignments you will handle in your career. The officer responding to a missing person call is in many cases responding to a situation where the reason for an individual’s disappearance is unknown. The officer will have to consider a number of variables when dealing with a missing person investigation that has no obvious reason for a person’s disappearance. Was the individual involved in an accident? Did the individual meet with foul play? Did a stranger abduct a young child? Has a young child met with tragedy while exploring an attractive danger such as a pool, creek, abandoned car or refrigerator? Even in a known runaway situation is the cause of the juvenile running away due to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by an authority figure in the home? Has the runaway been lured into a life of gangs and/or prostitution? A missing person investigation can become a “high