Not sure what the protocol was in 1975 but this bill was passed in NY Senate to take effect Jan 2014. -See link below.
January 2013 - NY State Enacts "Lori Ann's law" to establish procedures for law enforcement to locate and return missing persons.
This bill is meant to help standardize the procedures and to adopt protocol that will help identify high-risk missing persons.
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the executive law, in relation to improving the ability of law enforcement to locate and return missing persons, to improving the identification of human remains, and to improving timely information and notification to family members of missing persons
PURPOSE OF BILL: To establish statewide procedures for law enforcement in the event of a missing person case, identification of human remains and notification to family members.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: The executive law is amended to add a new Article II-A establishing procedures for law enforcement officers, coroners/medical examiners and other governmental personnel relating to missing persons reports and identifying unidentified persons/human remains.
2. LAW ENFORCEMENT RISK ASSESSMENT. (A) UPON INITIAL RECEIPT OF A
MISSING PERSON REPORT, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL IMMEDIATELY
DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A BASIS TO DETERMINE THAT THE PERSON MISSING
IS A HIGH-RISK MISSING PERSON;
(B) IF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAS PREVIOUSLY DETERMINED THAT A MISS-
ING PERSON IS NOT A HIGH-RISK MISSING PERSON, BUT OBTAINS NEW INFORMA-
TION, IT SHALL IMMEDIATELY DETERMINE WHETHER THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY INDICATES THAT THE PERSON MISSING IS A HIGH-
RISK MISSING PERSON;
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2168-2013
I think Det. Lennons Will Not Handle was perhaps a determination that Sylvia was not a high risk missing person. And I wonder
why they didnt think she was high risk after being missing for over 30 days in addition to other criteria listed in the bill which would have allowed them to allocate resources to her case.
Then and now
Thanks for that, Rose! I found it very interesting. I def have gotten the feeling that this is not just SL's problem, and for this to happen, many more families must be struggling with it. I just read the text of the bill -- they now
have to take an MP report. This would have
guaranteed my grandmother got a police report at the time my grandfather went missing 84 years ago (instead of when she followed up, two years after the disappearance). It's interesting, bc so many other MP services (even WS) require an MP report; without it, you have fewer resources to help you find the person on your own.
The list of reasons they collected for why LE might otherwise want to refuse a report is long -- and enlightening!
BBM: I wouldn't have thought that time, by itself, would be a criterion for "high risk." I would have thought they could just as easily see that as evidence a person doesn't want to be found! But looking at the list in the bill, there it is! -- "(E) THE PERSON IS MISSING MORE THAN THIRTY DAYS;"
It also seems like the high-risk criterion, "(C) THE PERSON IS MISSING UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES" would cover just about everyone!
This one is broad too: "(G) (II) THE PERSON MISSING DOES NOT HAVE A PATTERN OF RUNNING AWAY OR DISAPPEARING;"
I doubt LE would have used any of the above in 1975 to elevate SL's case. I also suspect LE depts. throughout the state are griping about this bill ...
So would this bill have helped SL?
Re the criteria about "mental impairment" and even "dangerous circumstances," I am not sure (even under this bill) that it would be enough for EL to
say either of these were the case. Note this part of the bill: "LAW ENFORCEMENT RISK ASSESSMENT. ... LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL IMMEDIATELY DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS
A BASIS TO DETERMINE THAT THE PERSON MISSING IS A HIGH-RISK MISSING PERSON;" to me, a "basis" (BBM) means "evidence."
Also, about a third of the bill addresses the handling of UID remains. To me that suggests that there are big holes in this area too. IOW, that information about many UID bodies never makes to somewhere it can be used to connect with MP info. Is that how you read this too?