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GENERAL ORDER #22.02 1 MISSING PERSONS GENERAL ORDER #22.02 Adopted: 07/07/2010 Updated: 02/22/2010 Replaces: G.O. # 22.02 dated 1/10/02 Reviewed: 02/22/2010 ****************************************************************************** POLICY The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office will take all necessary steps to assist in locating missing individuals. A. MISSING PERSONS. 1. The law recognizes “at risk” missing persons. “At risk” includes missing persons who may be: a. The vict im of a crime or foul play. b. In need of medical attention. c. Someone with no pattern of running away or disappearing. d. The victim of parental abduction/kidnapping. e. Mentally impaired. 2. A missing person r eport shall be made without delay upon receipt of information from any person, who reasonably believes that another person, including a juvenile, is missing or is a runaway , regardless of the jurisdiction . 3. If the subject of a missing persons report re sides outside of the Sheriff's Office’s area of responsibility, the Sheriff's records section shall, without delay , forward a copy of the report to the law enforcement agency that has responsibility for the area of the missing person’s residence. In cases involving children under twelve GENERAL ORDER #22.02 2 years of age or persons at risk, this cross -reporting must be accomplished within 24 hours of the report. B. JUVENILES 1. In all cases where a missing person report is taken on a juvenile under the age of twelve years, the reporting deputy shall contact Sheriff's records and enter the missing juvenile into N.C.I.C. In addition, Sheriff's records clerks shall teletype the information to D.O.J. missing persons. The reporting deputy shall make the N.C.I.C. entry and the records clerk will teletype D.O.J. within four hours of the time the report was accepted, per Penal Code section 14205. 2. When a juvenile under the age of twelve years is located, the reporting deputy shall contact Sheriff's records and remove the juve nile from N.C.I.C. D.O.J. missing persons shall be notified via teletype within 24 hours. 3. If a juvenile is under the age of eighteen years and is at risk, the investigating officer (detective) should forward a report along with dental records to the Department of Justice within 24 hours after receiving the report. 4. The investigating officer shall be responsible to provide dental records and a report to the Department of Justice on all persons missing for more than forty -five days. 5. If the miss ing child is under twelve years of age and missing at least fourteen days the dental/skeletal release form must immediately be executed. Also, immediately check with the coroner and submit the report, photograph, and dental/skeletal x - rays to D.O.J. withi n 24 hours. 6. In all cases where a missing person report is taken, the reporting party shall be provided with a Department of Justice dental release form by the reporting officer (per Penal Code section 14206). If the report is taken by phone, the den tal release form shall be mailed to the reporting party. The respective patrol division accepting the report shall have responsibility for mailing the dental release form. 7. In all cases, the field supervisor should be immediately made aware of all pertinent facts. The field supervisor shall notify the Watch Commander and will use judgment in initiating a search and utilizing the resources of allied agencies. LAURIE SMITH SHERIFF