Skip to content

Help for Law Enforcement

mc_trans

 

The Missing Coalition works with law enforcement to support their missing persons cases. This page contains several resources to support law enforcement in investigating those cases.

Your law enforcement agency likely has its own policies on taking missing persons reports. Be familiar with them because at some point you WILL take this kind of report.

Many agencies require a patrol-level officer to notify a supervisor or Detective in these cases. Some don't, but at the bare minimum some type of report will be required.

Missing children cases are very different than missing adults, but don't dismiss a missing adult as a "walk off" or similar type of incident without gathering the reporting party's entire information.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has a lot of resources for missing children cases.

Investigative Checklist for First Responders: This in-depth checklist includes best practices for the initial responding officer, their supervisor, and detectives.

NCMEC Connect: Online training provided by NCMEC for law enforcement, investigators, educators, non-profits and families.

Missing Kids Readiness Program (MKRP): This program works with law enforcement on training and certification to be recognized in their response to missing children.

Each state and most countries have missing person clearinghouses.

StateWebsite
  Alabamahttps://app.alea.gov/Community/Default.aspx 
  Alaskahttps://dps.alaska.gov/AST/ABI/MissingPerson
  Arizonahttps://www.azdps.gov/missingchildren
  Arkansashttps://www.arkansasag.gov/public-safety/missing-persons/
  Californiahttps://oag.ca.gov/missing 
  Coloradohttps://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cbi/missing-children 
  Connecticut https://portal.ct.gov/DESPP/Division-of-State-Police/Amber-Alert/Connecticut-Amber-Alert
  Delawarehttps://dsp.delaware.gov/
  District of Columbiahttps://missing.dc.gov/ 
  Floridahttp://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MCICSearch/Index.asp 
  Georgiahttps://gbi.georgia.gov/cases/missing-persons 
  Hawaiihttp://ag.hawaii.gov/cpja/mcch/ 
  Idahohttps://isp.idaho.gov/bci/missing-persons/
  Illinoishttps://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/missing.cfm 
  Indianahttps://www.in.gov/isp/2333.htm 
  Iowawww.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/  
  Kansashttps://www.kbi.ks.gov/MissingPersons/
  Kentuckyhttps://kentuckystatepolice.org/post-1-missing-persons/ 
  Louisianahttp://www.lsp.org/cid_clearinghouse.html 
  Mainehttps://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/investigation-traffic/missing-persons 
  Marylandhttp://mdsp.maryland.gov 
  Massachusettshttps://www.mass.gov/service-details/missing-persons 
  Michiganhttp://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,4643,7-123-1589_31786_32000---,00.html 
  Minnesotahttps://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/bca-divisions/administrative/Pages/missing-unidentified-persons.aspx 
  Mississippihttps://www.dps.state.ms.us/crime-investigation/bureau-of-investigation/general-information/
  Missourihttps://apps.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/MIAC/Units/MissingPersonsJuvenileUnit/index.html 
  Montanahttps://dojmt.gov/missing-persons 
  Navajo Nationhttp://www.navajonationdps.navajo-nsn.gov/ 
  Nebraskahttps://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/services/missing-persons 
  Nevadahttp://ag.nv.gov/Hot_Topics/Citizen/CA/childadvocate_Home/
  New Hampshirehttps://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/nhsp/missingpersons/index.html 
  New Jerseyhttps://www.njsp.org/division/investigations/missing-persons.shtml 
  New Mexico http://missingpersons.dps.state.nm.us 
  New Yorkhttps://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/missing 
  North Carolinahttps://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/law-enforcement/state-highway-patrol/amber-alert 
  North Dakotahttps://ndresponse.gov/alert 
  Ohiohttp://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/missingpersons 
  Oklahomahttps://osbi.ok.gov/pages/oklahoma-missing-persons-clearinghouse
  Oregonhttps://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/Pages/default.aspx 
  Pennsylvaniahttps://www.psp.pa.gov
  Puerto Ricohttps://policia.pr.gov/personas-desaparecidas/ 
  Rhode Islandhttp://fusioncenter.ri.gov/missingchildren/index.php 
  South Carolinahttps://www.sled.sc.gov/fusion.html#missing 
  South Dakotahttps://atg.sd.gov/LawEnforcement/missingpersons/default.aspx 
  Tennesseehttps://www.tn.gov/tbi/tennessees-missing-children/ 
  Texaswww.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch 
  U.S. Virgin Islandshttp://www.vipd.gov.vi/Crime/Missing_People.aspx 
  Utahhttps://bci.utah.gov/missing-persons/ 
  Vermonthttps://hsu.vermont.gov/missing-persons 
  Virginiawww.virginiatrooper.org 
  Washingtonhttp://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/alerts-missing-persons/ 
  West Virginiahttps://www.wvsp.gov/missing-persons/Pages/default.aspx 
  Wisconsinhttps://www.missingpersons.doj.wi.gov/
  Wyominghttps://wyomingdci.wyo.gov/dci-homepage/missing-persons 
  Canadahttp://www.canadasmissing.ca 
  The Netherlandshttp://nl.missingkids.com 

HOW WE CAN HELP

The Missing Coalition can help support law enforcement investigations of missing persons with awareness, resources, training, consultation, and physical searches.

As a project of the Cold Case Coalition, we’re able to tap in to those resources as well when there’s an investigative nexus in our work.

Having access to social media and external content creators across multiple platforms, we can help spread awareness of your case.

MISSINGLINK

We use professional tools in our organization for team communication and we have our own case management system, MissingLink, that was designed with collaboration and reporting in mind.

Our systems allow us to document all of the work on our cases by family support members, investigators, and social media members for easy review by law enforcement when needed.

CONTACT US FOR HELP