Missing Person

ErylRavenwell · Jan 2, 2008

Hi folks,

I have a couple of questions for you about missing persons:

1) Suppose a man's wife—a creature of habit—has failed to return home after work and the anxious husband contacts the police to report his wife most unusual disappearance, would the police immediately register the disappearance of the person? Would she be declared a missing person within say 5-10 hrs of the person's disappearance?

2) Now suppose there's a detective of the RHD (LAPD) inquiring about all missing persons in an area within 10 hrs, which dpt of the LAPD is he to contact?

Thanks.

Horseshoes · Jan 2, 2008

1) In LA, no, the po-po will not list her in the CA state computer and the national (NCIC) as missing w/in 5-10 hrs of failing to be where she was supposed to be. Even the critter of habit. Similar case last winter in Seattle, woman didn't come home from work, hubby reports her missing. Days later, cell ph records give info re her trying to call for help after she'd put her car off the road.
2) "det of RHD (LAPD)" - I no do-a understand what you're trying to say there. Det of another agency who wants to know every missing person in an area covered by LAPD would just ring the missing persons super who would have a clerk compile names/case numbers for the requesting det. Did you mean an outisde Law Enforcement agency or a non LE agency? The Missing Persons super will not put out as much effort for non-le. Presumably, an LE inquiry is related to some LE ofc who thinks his case involves some victims of the other agency.

Williebee · Jan 2, 2008

1) In the sticks? Yes. The county sheriff or rural PD would put out a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for x description, person, vehicle, etc. It would go out "on the wire", these days an online computer message board system, with advisories going to the local law enforcement units, and (here in Illinois) the regional state units. (the message board can, in most cases, be viewed on the computer in their cars.)

In a city? Not much chance of it getting posted as an advisory within the first 24 hours plus. Too much immediate threat crime going on to worry about someone who, odds are, stopped at a friends or a sale somewhere.

2) Either way, the emergency dispatch center is going to have access to Missing Person reports, in a date/time/name sortable database, available at their fingertips.

kristie911 · Jan 2, 2008

In Michigan, you can't enter a missing adult person into the system unless they are believed to be endangered or involuntarily missing. So in this case, the police would take a report, maybe put out a BOL (but probably not until much later than 5-10 hours) but she would not be entered into LEIN/NCIC. At least not until there is some sort of proof there is foul play involved.

kimmeunier · Jan 2, 2008

ErylRavenwell said:
Hi folks,

I have a couple of questions for you about missing persons:

1) Suppose a man's wife—a creature of habit—has failed to return home after work and the anxious husband contacts the police to report his wife most unusual disappearance, would the police immediately register the disappearance of the person? Would she be declared a missing person within say 5-10 hrs of the person's disappearance?

2) Now suppose there's a detective of the RHD (LAPD) inquiring about all missing persons in an area within 10 hrs, which dpt of the LAPD is he to contact?

Thanks.

Okay, normally I wouldn't get into personal experiences such as this one, but I can't resist. So here goes...
I left my abusive ex-husband (many years ago,) and left no forwarding address. He KNEW I had left him, but wasn't sure where I had gone. I was concerned for mine, and my son's safety. Anyway, he reported me, and my son as missing in the hopes that they would find me, and come after me. This was when we lived in AL. He took my car and drove it into a ditch, and promptly called the police. Long story short; I'm sitting at my sister's having coffee, and her phone rings. She had just moved in days before, and it's the Bureau of Missing Persons. I had already been gone for months. They asked her a ton of questions, did she know where I was, when was the last time she had seen me, and she so she lied. Anyway, I laughed he entire time she was on the phone, tears steaming down my cheeks. I am glad to report the jerk didn't find out where I was until I had served him with papers! Maybe you can use that in your story?

Kathie Freeman · Jan 3, 2008

Every jurisdiction has its own rules, but LAPD won't take a missing person report on an adult until they've been gone 48 hours unless there's obvious evidence of foul play or the person is mentally incompetant or seriously ill.

ErylRavenwell · Jan 3, 2008

Horseshoes said:
1)
2) "det of RHD (LAPD)" - I no do-a understand what you're trying to say there. Det of another agency who wants to know every missing person in an area covered by LAPD would just ring the missing persons super who would have a clerk compile names/case numbers for the requesting det. Did you mean an outisde Law Enforcement agency or a non LE agency? The Missing Persons super will not put out as much effort for non-le. Presumably, an LE inquiry is related to some LE ofc who thinks his case involves some victims of the other agency.

The RHD is the Robbery-Homicide Division of the Detective Bureau, itself a division of the LAPD. The RHD is the LAPD division which handles serial killers and such.

johnnysannie · Jan 3, 2008

Williebee said:
1) In the sticks? Yes. The county sheriff or rural PD would put out a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for x description, person, vehicle, etc. It would go out "on the wire", these days an online computer message board system, with advisories going to the local law enforcement units, and (here in Illinois) the regional state units. (the message board can, in most cases, be viewed on the computer in their cars.)

In.

Even in the sticks, it would be fairly uncommon for the county to start looking for someone who had just been "missing" for 5-10 hours. I live in a small town with a large rural area and last year I talked to a very frustrated woman who had not seen or heard from her normally dependable daughter (age 21) in several days - frustrated because the LEOs would not take her seriously.

Kids are a different story - they'll put out an APB asap.

ErylRavenwell · Jan 3, 2008

Kathie Freeman said:
Every jurisdiction has its own rules, but LAPD won't take a missing person report on an adult until they've been gone 48 hours unless there's obvious evidence of foul play or the person is mentally incompetant or seriously ill.

Well suppose there's a serial killer on the prowl, wouldn't they be more attentive to anyone reporting a female missing, especially if the killer is targetting only females?

I've checked the LAPD site, it also said a person is considered missing if he/she has "no pattern of running away or disappearing". But my problem here is the time frame. This is a minor element of a far bigger plot.

I've found out where they report an adult missing; it's the DSD and is handled by the Missing Person Unit. The DSD if I'm not mistaken is also part of the Detective Bureau.

ErylRavenwell · Jan 3, 2008

johnnysannie said:
Even in the sticks, it would be fairly uncommon for the county to start looking for someone who had just been "missing" for 5-10 hours. I live in a small town with a large rural area and last year I talked to a very frustrated woman who had not seen or heard from her normally dependable daughter (age 21) in several days - frustrated because the LEOs would not take her seriously.

Kids are a different story - they'll put out an APB asap.

APB is an All Points Bulletin here, right?

Horseshoes · Jan 3, 2008

Yes, if the agency thinks it may be pursuing a serial killer, then they are more attentive to missing persons meeting a profile for victims the killer selects.
Yes, All Points Bulletin, aka BOLO (be on the lookout). A locate that dispatch broadcasts quickly, usu verr little paperwork needed.

Missing Person

ErylRavenwell

Horseshoes

lisapreston.com

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

kristie911

Happy to be here

kimmeunier

Kathie Freeman

That Crazy Cat Lady

ErylRavenwell

johnnysannie

ErylRavenwell

ErylRavenwell

Horseshoes

lisapreston.com