080 - MISSING PERSONS

MISSING PERSONS EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/01/05 STANDARD NO. 080 REVISED: 10/31/18 REPLACES: Rev. 10/01/08; OBJECTIVE: To establish criteria for preparing reports and disseminating information pertaining to missing persons, endangered adults and juveniles, runaway juveniles, abducted juveniles and lost children. POLICY: It is the policy of the Homestead Police Department to respond to calls for service relating to missing persons, endangered adults and juveniles, runaway juveniles, abducted juveniles, and lost children. All missing persons and children will be entered into the FCIC/NCIC system within two (2) hours of taking the report and to the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) (formerly known as the Missing Children Information Clearinghouse or MCIC), if applicable. SCOPE: All employees of this Department shall be governed by the procedures set forth below. I. TYPES OF MISSING PERSONS: A. Runaway: Any unmarried person under the age of 18 who runs away from his/her parent(s) or legal guardian(s) without their permission. B. Parental Abduction: Any removal by the natural or adoptive parent of the child, without endangerment, of an unmarried person under the age of 18 from the legal custodian of the juvenile. C. Involuntary: A person of any age who is missing under circumstances indicating that the disappearance was not voluntary. D. Disabled: A person of any age who is missing and who is under the proven care of a physician, has a mental disability or is senile, thereby subjecting him/herself or others to immediate danger. E. Endangered: A person of any age who is in the company of another person under circumstances indicating that his/her personal safety is in danger. F. Disaster Victim: A person missing as a direct result of a disaster. G. Voluntary Adult: An adult who willingly leaves his/her family without any endangerment to him/herself or others. H. Other: A person who is missing and who does not fit in any of the other categories. II. LEGISLATION CHANGE: Missing Persons – SOP# 80 As of July 1, 2008, the State of Florida enacted the “Jennifer Kesse and Tiffany Sessions Missing Persons Act.” Under Florida Statute 937.0201, the following definitions have been created to enhance the requirements for investigation by law enforcement agencies. A. DEPARTMENT: Means the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. B. MISSING ADULT: A person 18 years of age or older whose temporary or permanent residence is in, or is believed to be in this state, whose location has not been determined, and who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement agency. C. MISSING CHILD: A person younger than 18 years of age whose temporary or permanent residence is in, or believed to be in this state, whose location has not been determined, and who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement agency. D. MISSING ENDANGERED PERSON: (1) A missing child; (2) A missing adult younger than 26y year of age; (3) A missing adult 26 years of age or older who is suspected by a law enforcement agency of being endangered or the victim of a criminal activity; or (4) A missing adult who meets the criteria for activation of the Silver Alert Plan of the Department of Law Enforcement. E. MISSING ENDANGERED PERSON REPORT: A report prepared on a form prescribed by the Department by rule for use by the public and law enforcement agencies in reporting information to the Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) about a missing endangered person. *The new legislation does not preclude a law enforcement agency from accepting a missing child or missing adult report when agency jurisdiction cannot be determined.