Osceola County Missing Persons Policy 207.0

• The Osceola County Sheriff's Office has a specific policy and set of procedures regarding missing persons.

Purpose and Policy

• It establishes explicit guidelines for the investigation of missing person reports.
• The agency is responsible for investigating any reported incident of a missing child, an involuntary disappearance, or endangered/disabled missing adults.

Definitions

• Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia affecting memory, thinking, and behavior.
• Amber Alerts utilize radio, television, dynamic message signs, lottery machines, and the FDLE website to broadcast information about child abduction cases to the public.
• Law enforcement agencies are notified through the Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC) terminal.
• BOLO is an acronym that stands for "Be on the Look-Out."
• Brain Injury refers to damage caused by a blow or trauma to the head resulting in significant brain damage.
• Child Abduction Response Team (CART) represents multi-agency investigative units comprising local, state, and federal law enforcement investigators, government agencies, and local businesses to effectively respond to and recover abducted children.
• Dementia involves irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties.
• Developmental Disability is a disorder or syndrome attributable to intellectual disability or cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, or Prader-Willi syndrome manifesting before age 18. It constitutes a substantial handicap that is expected to continue indefinitely under FSS 393.063(11).
• Enhanced Missing Child Alert serves as a third-level activation of the Amber Alert System.
• It applies to children believed to be in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury where standard Amber Alert criteria aren't met. Distribution to media outlets ensures public awareness.
• Intellectual Disability involves significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning alongside deficits in adaptive behavior before the age of 18 and expected to continue indefinitely.
• Adaptive Behavior refers to the effectiveness with which an individual meets the standards of personal independence and social responsibility expected of their age, cultural group, and community.
• Significantly Subaverage General Intellectual Functioning involves performance that is 2+ standard deviations from the mean score on a standardized intelligence test specified in agency rules.
• The Jennifer Kesse and Tiffany Sessions Missing Persons Act mandates Florida law enforcement agencies to accept reports of missing adults 25 years or younger and transmit these for inclusion within FCIC/NCIC once minimum criteria are met.
• Missing Adult(s) are individuals 18 years or older whose temporary or permanent residence is in the state, whose location is undetermined, and who have been reported missing.
• The missing person is younger than 18 years of age and their location is undetermined, and who has been reported missing.
• Missing Child Alert represents a second-level activation of the Amber Alert System for children missing and believed to be in danger of death or serious bodily injury. Distribution to media outlets ensures public awareness.
• Missing Disabled Person refers to a missing person of any age suffering from a physical or mental disability that places themselves or others in immediate danger.
• Missing Endangered Person includes a missing child, adults younger than 26, adults 26 or older suspected of being endangered/victims of criminal activity, or adults meeting Silver Alert Plan activation criteria.
• Missing Involuntary Person refers to individuals of any age missing under circumstances suggesting the disappearance was against their will (e.g., abduction or kidnapping).
• Other Missing Person refers to individuals not meeting the criteria for other categories but are missing, prompting reasonable safety concerns.
• Project Lifesaver assists families in monitoring qualified persons with Alzheimer's, dementia, or developmental disabilities who wander.
• Purple Alert (State/Local) assists in locating missing adults with mental/cognitive disabilities, brain injuries, or other disabilities not related to substance abuse.
• The disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or serious bodily harm.
• State Purple Alerts require the missing individual to be driving/ a passenger in a motor vehicle with identifiable license plate/vehicle information.
• A Local Purple Alert can be initiated if the person is on foot or in an unidentified vehicle.
• Silver Alert aids in rescuing cognitively impaired persons lost while driving. This is achieved by broadcasting pertinent information, including the vehicle's license plate number via FDOT road signs.

Procedures

• Members are to respond to missing person reports, and sworn members must respond to all calls of missing children, endangered or disabled persons, or as directed by a Supervisor.
• Anyone with knowledge of a missing involuntary, endangered, or disabled person can file a missing persons report.
• There is no waiting period required for investigating or documenting runaway or missing child incidents.
• Once on scene, the responsible member investigates the disappearance to determine if there are conditions leading to the belief that the missing person is in danger of death or great bodily harm.
• Supervisors must be informed of circumstances suggesting imminent danger.
• Circumstances include a threatened life, suicide attempts, domestic violence, physical/mental conditions, lack of self-care, sudden unexplained disappearance, evidence of struggle, ransom demands, or suspicion of being held against their will.

Missing, Involuntary, Endangered, or Disabled Persons

• If a sworn member finds the missing person meets these criteria, they must determine the last known location of the missing person per FSS 937.021(3) and if the report is credible, per FSS 937.021(4)(b).
• FSS 937.021(3) states that a missing child or adult report must be accepted and filed by the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the county or municipality where the child/adult was last seen.
• The agency receiving the report assumes specified duties, but this does not prevent an agency from accepting a report when jurisdiction cannot be determined.
• FSS 937.021(4)(b) requires the law enforcement agency to transmit the report within 2 hours for inclusion in FCIC, NCIC, and NamUs databases upon filing a credible police report that an adult is missing.
• If the responsible agency refuses to take a report per FSS 937.021(3), the responding member must contact the Crimes Against Persons Sergeant and relay the information.
• Project Lifesaver Clients should follow Policy 467.0 sections 4(H) for search and recovery.
• Consent or legal authorization to search the person's last known location and/or residence must be obtained and documented.
• Conduct a thorough search of the location and residence, and consult the agency's Domestic Service/Victim's Advocate if there is a domestic violence history to check for shelter.
• Secure potential evidence at the scene or the missing person's home that could be altered/destroyed, including items for DNA, fingerprints, footprints, and/or dental impressions.
• If needed, locate a scent article for the Canine Handler to collect following policies 406.0 and 407.0.
• The Sector Supervisor must be informed of the incident.
• For missing persons last seen within unincorporated Osceola County, the responding sworn member must initiate an incident report including details such as name, race, gender, date of birth, physical description, clothing, vehicles, location last seen, circumstances, accompanying individuals, employment/school details, medications, and any disabilities.
• Even if jurisdiction is undetermined, if the missing person currently resides in Osceola County, the sworn member must initiate an incident report.
• Possible travel destinations, vehicle descriptions, trackable devices, and carried property must be documented.
• If the missing person is a juvenile, responding members should thoroughly search the house and property, even if the reporting party says it was checked, and shall document past missing reports and recovery locations, names, addresses, and phone numbers of friends/associates, DCF involvement, caseworkers, and probation officer information.
• Contact the Communications Section in under 2 hours to input personal information and vehicle details into FCIC/NCIC systems, and communications should be informed if the entry is being made under the Jennifer Kesse and Tiffany Sessions Act for proper notation.

BOLO and Supervisor Considerations

• Initiate a missing person BOLO for agencies and travel destinations.
• Obtain a current photograph and upload it into Spillman.
• Determine if circumstances warrant an Amber Alert, Missing Child Alert, Enhanced Missing Child Alert, Silver Alert, or Purple Alert.
• If the disappearance is believed to be involuntary, the missing person is under 12, there is a substantial risk to the missing person's life, or if otherwise deemed necessary, Supervisors should respond.
• A Supervisor may not need to respond to missing persons 12 or younger if they are known to be habitual runaways and there is no imminent danger to the child's safety.
• Choose the appropriate search method and determine the need for support.
• Determine the need to establish an Incident Command System.
• If applicable, under Policy 451.0, notify the appropriate CID Unit or on-call Detective Sergeant after normal hours.
• Determine the need for assistance and notify the Platoon Lieutenant/On-call victim advocate.

Platoon Lieutenant Responsibilities

• Notify the Division Captain for relevant incidents.
• Respond to Advanced/Major Search Responses and act as Incident Commander until relieved.

Other Missing Persons protocols

• If the missing person does not qualify as Missing Involuntary, Missing Endangered, or Missing Disabled, the member can enter that person into FCIC/NCIC as missing "Other."
• Reasonable concern for the person's safety can be established if there are facts to show that a person's whereabouts are unknown and unexplained.
• A high amount of suspiciousness in consideration to the subject's behavioral patterns, plans, or routines is important. E.g. the person had not returned from work, school, or an errand at the designated time.
• If the person does not meet the FCIC/NCIC "Other" criteria, the member should attempt to locate or contact the person.
• The member shall issue an Attempt to Contact/Locate/Check Well-Being BOLO and complete an incident report if they are unsuccessful.
• Attempt to locate the missing person.
• Initiate an incident report to include the name, race, gender, date of birth, physical description, clothing description, vehicles owned or otherwise involved, description of anyone accompanying the missing person, place of employment or school, prescribed medications, whether the subject has the medication with him, and any physical and/or mental disability of the missing person.
• Trackable devices must be documented and the Communications Section must be contacted to initiate a missing person BOLO.

Responding Detective Duties and Activation Protocols

• Conduct interviews with the missing person's parents, witnesses, and the last known contact.
• Conduct neighborhood checks, and communicate with patrol members.
• Accurate information is crucial for communications and BOLOs.
• Missing person flyers should be prepared and disseminated.
• Assist with search activities and communicate with NCMEC, MEPIC, and NamUs as needed.
• Post-location, verify FCIC/NCIC entries are removed and document the Communications operator's number.

Activation of Alerts

• Requirements for the activation of Amber, Enhanced Missing Child, Missing Child, and/or Silver Alerts exist.
• The types of alerts are Amber Alert, Enhanced Missing Child Alert, Missing Child Alert, Silver Alert and Purple Alert.
• Alert Activation Procedures include determining if appropriate criteria have been met, entering the missing person into FCIC/NCIC, and notifying the media. Coordination takes place with the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC).

Missing Person Follow Up

• Follow up investigations of missing persons shall be assigned to the Crimes Against Persons Unit.
• Written consent from the family may be requested to gather dental or other potential records of the missing person.
• The assigned detective shall then request the Crimes Against Persons Unit Sergeant or analyst to enter the dental records into the FCIC/NCIC for the purpose of comparing such records to those of unidentified deceased persons and be stored appropriately.
• Cases that have not been cleared must be reviewed and documented every 30 days. The member must advise the family of case progress.
• If the missing person remains unlocated after 90 days, attempt shall be made to obtain a biological specimen that is suitable for DNA analysis of the missing person.

Protocols for Locating a Missing Person

• Members locating a missing person shall verify their return, either personally or through law enforcement/government.
• Alternate verification methods, with supervisory approval and supported by evidence, include video chats or telephone discussions, Submit a Teletype Request Form to the Communications Section canceling the FCIC/NCIC computer entries and any BOLOs.
• Documentation should of the location of the individual as well as a note regarding emancipation.
• Complete all applicable incident and supplemental reports, and contact MEPIC to the advise that the individual has been located/recovered.