Seattle Police Manual

15.130 – Missing Person

Effective Date: 5/16/2012

15.130-POL

1. Officers Will Document Missing Person Incidents on the Missing Persons Report (form 5.1.2)

A missing persons report is completed when:

• An un-emancipated juvenile is reported missing or,
  
• A person of any age is reported missing for any period of time and there is a reasonable concern for their safety.

2. Officers Will Not Take a Missing Person Report In Certain Cases

To assist:

• Litigants in civil cases
  

• Process servers,
  

• Bill collectors,
  

• Compilation of family histories,
  

• Location of heirs.
  

3. There Is No Waiting Period to Take a Missing Person Report

4. Officers Shall Include the Victim’s Full Name and Date of Birth on the Missing Person Report

WACIC/NCIC does not accept reports without this information.

5. Officers will fax a copy of the completed Missing Person Report to Data Center and Send the Original Missing Person Report to Data

Federal law requires that information on a missing person under the age of 21 must be entered into WACIC and NCIC within two hours of the initial report.

6. An AMBER Alert Plan and a Child is Missing Alert Requires the Approval of a Lieutenant or Above

7. Department Employees Will Use the AMBER Alert Plan in Their Efforts to Locate an Abducted Child When the Following Criteria Are Met:

See 15.130-PRO-2 Initiating an AMBER Alert Plan

• The victim is under the age of 18 years of age.
  

• The victim is not a voluntary runaway (previous history of runaway reports is not a sole factor for exclusion).
  

• There appears to be a risk of injury or death to the victim, in the opinion of the investigating agency.
  

• There must be sufficient descriptive information available such that its dissemination to the public would help locate the child, suspect and/or suspect’s vehicle.
  

• The missing child must be reported to and investigated by a law enforcement agency and a Missing Person Report is completed.
  

8. A Child is Missing (ACIM) Alert May be Used When Criteria for an AMBER Alert are Not Met

See 15.130-PRO-3 Initiating a Child is Missing Alert

• A Child is Missing (ACIM) Alert is a free service to law enforcement. Once ACIM has received the required information from law enforcement, a personalized alert message is recorded and phoned out to the area where the person was last seen.
  

• A Child is Missing Alert can be used for missing children, the elderly and the disabled.
  

9. Officers Searching for a Missing Child Will Conduct a Search of Surrounding Areas and Places of Concealment

a. Officers Will Use the Neighborhood Canvass Form (form 14.4) to Record the Search.

10. The Missing Persons Detail of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Section Conducts the Follow-up Investigations of Missing Persons Reports

15.130-PRO-1 Missing Child

Communications

1. Broadcasts detailed information of missing child and assigns a primary officer.

Officer

2. Completes the initial investigation and reporting requirements of the missing child incident. See 15.130-TSK-1 Missing Child-Officer.

3. Notifies a sergeant.

Sergeant

4. Assesses the need for incident command and initiates as needed.

5. Determines with the officer if the AMBER Alert system will be activated and/or A Child is Missing Alert is needed.

6. Coordinates patrol response.

15.130-TSK-1 Missing Child-Officer

1. Responds promptly to the location of the missing child.

2. Activates in-car video during approach to the location of the missing child.

3. Interviews parents/person who made initial report and verify that the child is missing and the child’s custody status

4. Determines if a multi-officer/unit response is required.

5. Obtains detailed description of the missing child, abductor, or vehicles, etc. and relay detailed descriptive information to Communications for broadcast.

6. Updates Communications with detailed information for broadcast.

7. Determines who last saw the child, when and where they saw the child.

8. Identifies everyone who is at the scene of the missing child report.

9. Interviews the person(s) who last had contact with the child.

a. Interviews identified persons separately and asks:“What do you think happened to the child?”, documents their response.

10. Identifies child’s ‘zone of safety’ (area that child feels safe or comfortable in) for his/her age/developmental stage

11. Determines if the incident involves a non-family abduction, family abduction, endangered runaway, or lost, injured, or otherwise missing child.

12. Determines if the criteria for an AMBER Alert has been met. See 15.130-PRO-2 Initiating an AMBER Alert Plan and 15.130-TSK-2 AMBER Alert Plan-Officer.

a. If the AMBER Alert criteria are not met, then notifies the Sergeant that A Child is Missing Alert is needed. See 15.130-PRO-3 A Child is Missing Alert.

13. Requests consent to search the home and surrounding out-buildings and structures on the property.

a. Obtains the property owner’s signature on a Consent to Search form.

b. Treats the area as a possible crime scene.

14. Obtains a photograph of the missing child.

15. Sends the photograph to SPDall with a Lieutenant’s approval.

16. Faxes a copy of the completed Missing Person Report to Data Center within 2 hours of completing the report.

17. Calls Data Center to confirm the report was received.

18. If the child is located, sends a SPDall update.

15.130-PRO-2 Initiating an AMBER Alert Plan

Sergeant

1. Notifies an on-duty lieutenant if the AMBER Alert Plan is needed.

Lieutenant

2. Determines if the criteria are met for the initiation of the AMBER Alert Plan-See 15.130-POL-7, and initiates ICS. Updates the sergeant. See 15.130-TSK-2 AMBER Alert Plan-Lieutenant.

Sergeant

3. Notifies the Homicide Unit and the Public Affairs Unit if the child is abducted by an unknown suspect.

or

Notifies the Domestic Violence Unit and the Public Affairs Unit if the child is abducted by a known family member.

4. Contacts Communications by telephone.

5. Instructs the officer to complete the AMBER Alert Report (form 5.1.3) and Missing Persons Report.

Officer

6. Completes the AMBER Alert Report and Missing Persons Report.

7. Faxes the completed Missing Person Report and AMBER Alert Report to the Data Center.

8. Sends by fax or email (spddispatch@seattle.gov) the completed AMBER Alert Report to Communications.

15.130-TSK-2 Initiating an AMBER Alert Plan-Lieutenant

1. Determines if the criteria are met for the initiation of the AMBER Alert Plan and initiates ICS. See 15.130-POL #7

2. Cancels the AMBER Alert after verification of the child’s recovery.

3. Convenes a debrief session with involved personnel.

4. Completes an After Action Report and sends a copy to ICAC Section Captain.

15.130-PRO-3 Initiating a Child is Missing Alert

Sergeant

1. Notifies an on-duty lieutenant if a Child is Missing Alert is needed.

Lieutenant

2. Approves A Child is Missing Alert and contacts the Public Affairs Unit prior to having the alert issued.

3. Calls A Child is Missing (ACIM) at 1-888-875-2246 and provides the following information:

• Reporting Agency,
  

• Lieutenant’s name and contact phone number,
  

• General Offense Number,
  

• Name and description of missing person,
  

• Location last seen, zip code, county and search area,
  

• Time and date last seen,
  

• Police Department number for citizen to report sightings – 911.
  

4. Completes a report that will be sent by A Child is Missing (ACIM) and sends a copy to ICAC.

15.130-TSK-4 Missing Adult-Officer

1. Determines the category of the missing person and completes the Missing Person Report form.

2. Completes the narrative on a Continuation Sheet.

3. Signs, or obtains the complainant’s signature, on the Missing Person Report.

4. Obtains a recent photograph of the missing person.

5. Sends the photograph to SPDall with a Lieutenant’s approval.

6. Sends by fax a copy of the completed Missing Person Report to Data Center as soon as practical.

7. Calls Data Center to confirm the report was received.

8. If the person is located, then sends a SPDall update.