Law Dispatcher

Thousands of people go missing every year. Although it can be quite alarming to those who are relatives, it causes little concern amongst law enforcement unless the person is endangered, a minor under the age of 12 or an elderly person. The thinking behind the lack of concern is that a person of 12 years of age or older can take care of themselves…particularly an adult, who has the right to “go missing”. Although such a thoughtless action on behalf of the person gone missing, it is their right.

Concern for the endangered, minors (under 12 years of age) and elderly increases according to the circumstances. If a person leaves the hospital against medical advice (AMA), they are considered endangered and it becomes necessary to find them quickly and get them the help they need. There are a variety of situations in which an individual can be considered endangered. Children under the age of 12 who go missing is also cause for concern and that concern increases based not only upon the circumstance but also their age. If a 2 year old go missing from their home and the home is situated near a body of water, an immediate and large response is required. It is usually standard procedure that when a young child goes missing that not only will several units respond to check the local area but also the law enforcement helicopter if available. Helicopters can oversee large areas at once and be very instrumental to ground forces in locating a person of interest. The same goes for an elderly person who has gone missing. Not all elderly missing people suffer from Alzheimer’s but there are a significant number who do. They present a special challenge for law enforcement because usually, they don’t know where they are, where they are going and sometimes might not even know their own name. That is why it is critically important that the 911 operator extract detailed information from the caller about the description of the person who has gone missing. What are they wearing and what color? How old are they and what’s their birth date? Where are they missing from? Can they be endangered? When was the last time they were seen? How tall are they? What’s their approximate weight, build, hair color, eye color? Any identifying marks such as scars, tattoos, birthmarks etc.? How long have they been missing? Any little piece of information could be just the identifier needed to bring this person home. A recent picture will be extremely helpful to the responding officers.

Please don’t hesitate to contact law enforcement when a person goes missing. State the circumstances and answer all the questions to the best of your ability. Law enforcement will determine the priority set on finding this person.