Special Order - Missing Persons Investigations - RESCINDED 3-25-21City of Long Beach
Working Together to Serve
Date: October 7, 2019
To: WATCH REPORT
From: Robert G. Luna, Chief of Police
Subject: SPECIAL ORDER -MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS
Memorandum
This special order supersedes all prior manual sections and training bulletins in regard to the investigation of missing person cases.
Please see the attached policy and familiarize yourself on the requirements for investigating missing persons.
This special order will remain in effect until LBPD Manual Section MISSING
PERSON INVESTIGATIONS and associated manual sections have been revised
and approved
Robert G. Luna, Chief of Police
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Date RESCINDED 3-25-21 SEE SECTION 8.2.13
City of Long Beach Working Together to Serve
Date: October 7, 2019
To: WATCH REPORT
From: Robert G. Luna, Chief of Police
Subject: SPECIAL ORDER -MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS
Memorandum
Effective immediately, this special order creates policy as it pertains to missing person's investigations.
DEFINITIONS
Missing person -Any person who is reported missing to law enforcement when the person's location is unknown. This includes a child who has been taken, detained, concealed, enticed away or kept by a parent in violation of the law (Penal Code § 277 et seq.). It also includes any child who is missing voluntarily, involuntarily or under circumstances that do not conform to his/her ordinary habits
or behavior, and who may need assistance (Penal Code§ 14215).
Missing person network -Databases or computer networks available to law enforcement that are suitable for information related to missing person's investigations. These include the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), Missing
Person System (MPS), and the Unidentified Persons System (UPS).
Unidentified living person -is a person living, whose identity the local investigative agency is unable to determine. This is entered into NCIC Data base to assist in their identification.
POLICY The Long Beach Police Department does not consider any report of a missing person to be routine and assumes that the missing person requires immediate assistance unless later determined otherwise. The Long Beach Police Department prioritizes missing person cases over property-related cases. There is no requirement that a person be missing for a minimum amount of time (i.e., 24 hours)
for law enforcement to accept a missing report (Penal Code§ 14211).
A patrol unit shall be dispatched to all missing person's reports. The patrol officer shall conduct the initial investigation, take the missing person's report, and make all appropriate notifications. The only exception to this reporting requirement is any
missing person's report that is out of the City of Long Beach jurisdiction, also
known as a courtesy report, these reports are taken by sworn front desk personnel.
NOT AT-RISK MISSING PERSONS-ADULT OR JUVENILE •Missing persons who are deemed not at risk, and 21 years of age or older, shallbe dispatched through the Communications Center as a priority two call.RESCINDED 3-25-21 SEE SECTION 8.2.13
October 7, 2019 SPECIAL ORDER -MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS
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•A patrol officer may be dispatched to a priority two, non-critical missing personscall and determine the missing person to be an at risk or critical missing. If this
occurs the patrol officer shall notify their supeivisor and the Communications
Center.
CRITICAL (AT RISK) MISSING PERSONS-ADULT OR JUVENILE
The terms at risk and critical missing are synonymous within our agency and other jurisdictions. A critical missing person is a person who is any of the following:
•11 years of age or under;•Suspected to be a victim of a crime or foul play;•In need of medical attention;
•Has no pattern of running away or disappearing; if an officer determines a
runaway is in no immediate danger, the investigation may be treated as a
non-critical missing (for those 12 years and older);•A child that may be the victim of parental abduction and there is reason to
believe harm may come to the child; or
•Is mentally impaired, including cognitively impaired or developmentally
disabled (i.e. Dementia, Alzheimer's, and Autism).
A critical missing person under the age of 12 years may only be downgraded by
the Special Investigations Division Commander; all others may be downgraded by
the Watch Commander.
When the Communications Center determines critical missing person criteria is
met, the call should be classified and dispatched as a priority one.
TELETYPE NOTIFICATION
In all missing persons' cases, employees shall file a report and ensure it is received
by Teletype within two hours. Officers shall confirm with Teletype (570-7288) that
the report was received.
Teletype must electronically transmit the report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) via CLETS for inclusion in the Violent Crime Information Center and the National
Crime Information Center databases within two hours after receipt.
ADDITIONAL NOTIFICATIONS
Per California Penal Code (CPC) § 14211 (d), if the missing person is under 21
years of age or the person meets the at-riskcriteria, officers shall ensure that a "be on the lookout" (BOLO) is broadcast via all radio channels and mobile digital
terminals without delay. Officers shall note in their call history and reports that a
BOLO was broadcast.
The Watch Commander or designee may contact the on-call Homicide Missing
Person's Detective for assistance. RESCINDED 3-25-21 SEE SECTION 8.2.13
October 7, 2019 SPECIAL ORDER -MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS
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The on�call Homicide/Missing Persons Detail personnel shall be notified if the
investigation reaches four (4) hours without a locate or the investigation
progresses to a point where an informational bulletin must be generated.
Notify Homicide without delay if foul play is suspected or the case is suspicious in
nature.
In the event of a parental/family abduction where there is no evidence of immediate
threat to the child, the Child Abuse Detail shall be notified. If there IS evidence of immediate threat to the child, then the Homicide Detail shall be notified.
AMBER AND SILVER ALERTS
In the event an Amber or Silver Alert is deemed appropriate; the Watch
Commander shall notify the On-Call Homicide/Missing Persons
Sergeant/Detective for assistance.
SILVER ALERT CRITERIA
All the following criteria must be met to activate a Silver Alert:
•The missing person is 65 years of age or older or developmentally disabled or
Cognitively impaired (please note in the latter two, age is not a factor);•All available local resources have been utilized;•It has been determined the person has gone missing under unexplained or
suspicious circumstances;•There is reason to believe the person is in danger because of age, health,
mental or physical disability, environment or weather conditions;•The person is in the company of a potentially dangerous person, or there are
other factors indicating the person may be in peril.•There is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in
the safe recovery of the missing person.
AMBER ALERT CRITERIA •It has been confirmed that an abduction has occurred, or the child has beentaken by any person.•The victim is under the age of 18 years, or of proven mental or physical
disability.•There is reason to believe the victim is in imminent danger of serious bodily
injury or death.
•There is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in
the safe recovery of the missing person.
OUT OF JURISDICTION REPORTS
When filing a courtesy missing person report, note the agency in the Courtesy
Report For box. The following shall apply for out of jurisdiction reports: •If the missing person resides in another jurisdiction, sworn front desk
personnel, if on-duty, will file the report.RESCINDED 3-25-21 SEE SECTION 8.2.13
October 7, 2019
SPECIAL ORDER -MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS Page4
•If the front desk is not staffed with sworn personnel, a patrol unit will be
dispatched to contact or call the reporting party to file the report.•Officers may transfer the Reporting Party to the involved jurisdiction ensuringthe Reporting Party is connected with a person who can assist them. In no
case will the Reporting Party be transferred to a recorded line or voicemail. If
an officer is unable to make contact with the other jurisdiction, a courtesy report
shall be filed.•No officer should be dispatched to an out of jurisdiction report unless furtherinvestigation/questioning by front desk personnel determines the last knownlocation of the missing person was in Long Beach.
GUIDELINES FOR PATROL HANDLING MISSING PERSONS DISPATCHES •If the person is already an active missing with LBPD, file a supplemental reportto the existing DR with updated narrative and Reporting Party information.•If the person is already an active missing in CLETS with an outside handlingagency, do not pull a new Long Beach DR. The officer shall facilitate contact
between the new RP and the original handling agency. The officer shall note inthe call how they facilitated contact and emailLBPDmissingpersons@longbeach.gov the call number. (Exception: if theofficer cannot verify the reported missing is the same person reported to anoutside agency, or the missing is now being reported missing from Long Beachtake a Long Beach DR.•If available, officers shall obtain a recent photograph of the missing person andemail it to LBPDmissingpersons@longbeach.gov with name and DR in subjectline.•Obtain DNA for a critical missing when deemed appropriate by the on call
Missing Person's Detective.
MISSING AND LOCATED REPORTS
•Each missing person report requires a unique DR, for example if a mother andchild are missing, obtain two DR's; one for the mother and one for the child as
they may not be located together or at the same time.•If the incident involves a crime report, the crime will also have its own DR.Reference other associated DR numbers in all related narratives.
A patrol officer shall be dispatched to all calls regarding located missing persons
to file the Located Missing Person report, and notify teletype.
If a located missing person is arrested, complete a located missing person report as follows: •Long Beach PD Located Missing Person -File the located report with the
original missing person DR, file the arrest report with a unique DR.•Other Jurisdiction Located Missing Person -File the located report with aLBPD DR number, file the arrest report with a unique DR (2 DR numbers).RESCINDED 3-25-21 SEE SECTION 8.2.13
October 7, 2019 SPECIAL ORDER -MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS Page 5
When completing a Located Missing Person's report for a juvenile or a person with medical or cognitive issues, ensure the responsible party completes and signs the Signatures section of the form.
When an officer is dispatched to a missing persons call and the person is located
prior to submitting to teletype regardless of circumstances, the officer shall still file a Missing report. This can be marked as both missing and located on the same report. If the report has been submitted to teletype, a separate Located report shall be filed and submitted. Missing reports shall not be voided.
If an officer conducting routine police business (traffic stop, taking a report, investigative stop, etc.) contacts a subject and the officer discovers the subject is
a reported missing person (from any law enforcement agency), that officer shall file a Located Missing Person Report and notify teletype of the locate (Officers may also contact the originating agency depending on the circumstances). This should be done regardless of how the contact resolves (arrest, advisal, citation, etc.).
UNIDENTIFIED MISSING PERSONS
If officers encounter an individual who cannot be identified, email or call the
Missing Person's Detail and provide the DR number (LBPDmissingpersons@lonqbeach.gov or 570-7246) in the following types of cases: •A Jane/John Doe who may not be identified at the time of contact (i.e., 5150,
crime victim, vehicle accidents, persons transported to a hospital); file an RNBor an Fl Card according to policy requirements;•An unidentified deceased person.
This special order will remain in effect until a manual section has been drafted and
approved for inclusion in the LBPD Manual.
RGL:jpm MPspecorder RESCINDED 3-25-21 SEE SECTION 8.2.13