The approach that the responding officer initially takes to a call about a missing, abducted, runaway or lost child often determines whether the child is recovered and returned home safely, remains missing for months or years, or is never located. The most critical role in any missing child case is the first responder, the patrol officer, who initially establishes the seriousness of the complaint, safeguards the scene, gathers crucial facts, and conducts preliminary interviews of witnesses. The Justice Department recommends that law enforcement agencies respond to every report of a missing child as if the child is in immediate danger. If they assume that the child is lost or has run away, they may miss the opportunity to immediately identify critical information such as a witness who observed the child talking to someone. In addition, in the wake of sensational cases in which parents or guardians killed children and then falsely reported they had been abducted, the Justice Department is urging law enforcement agencies nationwide to assume foul play in every missing child case and have the parents or guardians submit to polygraph tests early in the investigation. Endnotes