OCT 24, 2019
What you need to know about reporting a missing person
The days-long search for 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney in Birmingham thrust the issue of missing persons to the forefront.
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“We continually see more and more missing persons,” Moseley stated.
Despite the growing number, many still wrestle with whether to call law enforcement if they believe their friend or relative is missing.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor urges citizens not to hesitate.
“Parents sometimes think, ‘I don’t want to be that overreacting parent but I don’t know where my child is,’ or they don’t want to call or bother the police,” Taylor explained. “I want you to call the police, we want you to dial 911 so we can get this process started.”
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That’s because time is essential. Moseley says it’s best to call 911 quickly and allow officers to assess the situation.
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ALEA has a standard protocol for reporting missing persons cases from the city to state level. When officers get the call, they have a checklist in hand to start the process. The first determination they must make is whether the person is missing or has been abducted. If they are abducted or in imminent danger due to a medical condition, an alert is issued.
Moseley pointed out, it's important to keep current pictures of children and senior citizens.
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“Sometimes a driver’s license picture can be seven, eight years old,” said Moseley. “It’s really important to us to not only have the pictures of your children, but also of your parents and your grandparents.”
If you have a teenager at home, it's important that you're aware of their friends, schedules, and online activities.
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