Lakewood Police Department Policy and Procedure Missing Persons Procedures		Effective Date: 08/18/2022
	Policy Number: PP-8105 - Missing Persons Procedures

A. Policy

The Police Department recognizes a unique responsibility in the area of missing persons.  A missing person is defined as a person whose whereabouts are unknown and whose safety or welfare is the subject of concern.

It shall be the policy of this department to actively pursue missing person cases to conclusion. 

B. Procedure

1. Missing person reports must be accepted without delay when a Reporting Party with relevant, credible information, submits the report in person if:

a. Missing person resides in Colorado or was last known to reside in Colorado.

b. There is credible information that the missing Person was last believed to be in Colorado.  

c. There is no minimum length of time required for a person to be missing before a report is completed.

2. An initial report of a missing person by telephone must be taken when the conditions in B1 are met. Due to potential delay in follow-up review, missing person reports are not generally accepted by internet, mail or other electronic media.
 
3. Missing Person reports shall generally be taken by a patrol agent, desk agent, or the Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU). Reports shall list all information concerning description, possible leads, associates and known circumstances. 

4. CCIC entry of a missing person eighteen years of age or older shall be accomplished within eight hours of report receipt.

5. Missing Person reports are not required when:

a. A formal report or missing person investigation is being or has been initiated by another Colorado law enforcement agency.

b. LPD knows the location of the reported missing person or can confirm the safe status of the person.

c. The reporting person is unable to articulate a bonafide relationship with the person or a legitimate rationale for concern.

d. LPD suspects and can articulate that the person is being sought for reasons of harassment, stalking, retaliation, court testimony, debt collection, or any action in defiance of a protection order.

e. Articulable, documented extenuating circumstance(s) make the report acceptance impractical or unreasonable. 

6. An immediate search and supervisory notification shall be made when:

a. The missing person is senile, has Alzheimer's disease or dementia, is developmentally disabled, or otherwise unable to care for their own safety.

b. There is an indication of foul play, accident, or extreme danger, and there are leads available; or, 

c. In any case a patrol supervisor deems such a search appropriate.  

a. "Missing senior citizen" is a person who at the time that he or she is reported missing is a Colorado resident; sixty years of age or older; has a verified impaired mental condition; and whose appearance poses a credible threat to the safety and health of the person, as determined by a local law enforcement agency.

b. Documentation of the senior citizen's impaired mental condition will need to be obtained from the subject's family or legal guardian. 

c. CBI will be notified of the missing person and will be responsible for the issuance of an alert and notifying media outlets in Colorado.  If/when the subject is located, CBI will again be notified for the cancellation of the alert. 

8. CCIC and NCIC entry

Missing persons shall be entered in the Colorado Crime Information Center (CCIC) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computers.  A teletype request form shall be completed, and the TTY number shall be noted in the report.  Associated vehicles or pertinent information shall be included in the entry.

A supplementary report will be completed when the missing person has returned or been located.  Assigned personnel shall also cancel the computer entry and include the teletype number in the supplementary report. 

9. The Public Information Officer may be contacted to disseminate information to the media should the circumstances warrant. 
  
10. Follow - up

Missing persons cases shall be assigned to a detective or technician for follow - up, to include contact with the reporting party.  A trace date not to exceed 7 workdays shall be assigned for the completion of the initial investigation.

a. Circumstances during the initial 7 - day period shall dictate the urgency of any subsequent investigative action.

b. Reports shall be written on active missing persons with trace dates as follows:

 Period of Time Missing:  Supplemental Report Due:

 1 day - 30 days     30 days

 30 days - 1 year     Quarterly

 1 year or more  Annually

c. Contact with the reporting person will be maintained during the follow-up investigation. 

11. Case closure

When the well-being or current location of the missing person has been confirmed, the employee closing the case will:

a. Complete a supplemental report of the circumstances. 

b. Cancel the CCIC/NCIC entry. 

c. Complete a teletype request form confirming cancellation information.

d. Notify the reporting party of the case disposition. 

12. In certain cases, the reported missing person, once located, may request that his / her location not be revealed.  If the individual is an adult, the request shall generally be honored. 

a. There may be circumstances, which, in the opinion of a division supervisor, justify the release of the individual's location.  In making this decision, the supervisor should consider for whom and for what reason the request is being made and accessibility of the information through the open records act. 

C. Rule

The Police Department shall not refuse to accept a missing person report based on arbitrary time limits not being met.   









PP-8106 - SXO Registration