U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Law Enforcement Policies on Missing Children

NCJ Number
124537
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 38 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1990) Pages: 57-60
Author(s)
M L Forst
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article reports the results of the federally funded National Study of Law Enforcement Policies and Practices Regarding Missing Children and Homeless Youth and suggests components for a formal departmental policy on response to missing-children reports.
Abstract
Part of the study included an indepth examination of 30 representative police agencies throughout the Nation. Researchers visited each department and secured copies of formal, written policies and interviewed officers about those policies. All but 3 of the 30 agencies had some type of formal policy regarding missing children. Three of the four small departments had no policy. Agencies with policies usually addressed four substantive areas: definitions of a missing child, communications, initial response by patrol, and administrative issues. The study found that agencies with the most detailed policies provide the best and most consistent services. To structure discretion and lower the chances of mistaken judgments by police, there should be detailed directives regarding the policies and procedures to be used in all phases of a missing child case. All policies should cover the following general areas: definitions and case classification, communications, initial response, investigative procedures, and administrative issues.