CAN I CONTACT THE CLEARINGHOUSE DIRECTLY REGARDING
A MISSING PERSON OR CHILD?
Parents
should contact their local law enforcement agency prior to
contacting the Clearinghouse. Police or other searching agencies
should contact the Clearinghouse directly.
FAQ -
How long must I wait to report a Missing person?
THERE
IS NO WAITING PERIOD TO REPORT A MISSING PERSON. It is mandatory
with many federal laws that the report be taken immediatley
and entered into NCIC within 2 hours for missing persons age
18 and under.
FAQ -
What do I do if local law enforcement won’t take a missing
report (or enter the Missing person into NCIC National Crime
Information Center)?
Contact the officer that took the initial report to inquire
why the report has not been entered in NCIC. Listen to what
the officer advises you, as there may be other issues involved.
This agency may not be the agency of jurisdiction where the
child was at the time it become missing. You may not be the
custodial parent. You may not have a valid custody document
and/or parenting plan. If you have custody documents you need
to present them to the officer. If you called the agency,
you may have spoken to a call taker or communication officer
who took a missing report and an investigator may or may not
been assigned to your case. Write down the responses you are
given for further follow-up.
FAQ -
Why am I not getting assistance in looking for my runaway
child?
Law enforcement will take a runaway report, but the search
for a runaway child may be left to the parents and family
to conduct. Runaways are the largest category of missing children.
Utah averages 360 new runaway reports every month. Almost
half of the reported runaways return home in one to three
days and 75% are back home within a month. Many of these children
are repeat offenders. The manpower and resources needed to
track them, combined with the perception they will return
home, creates difficult enforcement issues.
For further
information or questions you can contact the clearinghouse
at (801) 965-4686 or 1-888-770-6477
Utah Missing Person Clearinghouse Home Page |
