| Missing Persons |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
If you begin your police career working
in the type of neighborhoods that I did,
where living with a high rate of crime is
a way of life, you're going to be taking a
lot of missing person reports. Most of
those missing persons will be for
adolescent children who generally
experience low levels of parental
supervision.
You'll find that the vast, vast majority
of reported missing persons aren't really
missing. In large urban environments
where missing person reports are
plentiful, the most a police department
can do is develop and maintain a
comprehensive and efficient reporting
and follow-up procedure for missing
person reports.
Just because you may experience
missing person reports on a routine
basis doesn't lessen the importance of
each and every report you receive. Out
of the hundreds of reports I took as a
patrol officer, none were abduction
victims. However, I did pull a lot of kids
out of places they shouldn't have been.
In the case of girls, many were involved
in sexual relationships with older men in
violation of statutory sexual assault
in the type of neighborhoods that I did,
where living with a high rate of crime is
a way of life, you're going to be taking a
lot of missing person reports. Most of
those missing persons will be for
adolescent children who generally
experience low levels of parental
supervision.
You'll find that the vast, vast majority
of reported missing persons aren't really
missing. In large urban environments
where missing person reports are
plentiful, the most a police department
can do is develop and maintain a
comprehensive and efficient reporting
and follow-up procedure for missing
person reports.
Just because you may experience
missing person reports on a routine
basis doesn't lessen the importance of
each and every report you receive. Out
of the hundreds of reports I took as a
patrol officer, none were abduction
victims. However, I did pull a lot of kids
out of places they shouldn't have been.
In the case of girls, many were involved
in sexual relationships with older men in
violation of statutory sexual assault
When you respond to a report of a missing person, you're going to run
into all sorts of reporting persons. Some will show little concern, and
they'll treat the reports as something they're just supposed to do. This
circumstance is common in households where people, particularly
children, frequently leave home for extended periods of time. Of
course, others will be extremely concerned, even distraught, over the
unknown whereabouts of a loved one.
into all sorts of reporting persons. Some will show little concern, and
they'll treat the reports as something they're just supposed to do. This
circumstance is common in households where people, particularly
children, frequently leave home for extended periods of time. Of
course, others will be extremely concerned, even distraught, over the
unknown whereabouts of a loved one.
laws.
If you develop any
information during
your interview on
which you can act,
you act on that
information.
However, most of the
time, the reporting
person has already
done the usual
investigation by
contacting
acquaintances and
checking locations.
In the case of those
repeat reporting
information during
your interview on
which you can act,
you act on that
information.
However, most of the
time, the reporting
person has already
done the usual
investigation by
contacting
acquaintances and
checking locations.
In the case of those
repeat reporting
persons, they'll be familiar with, and understanding of, your limitations
in assisting them when no evidence exists to indicate that the missing
person's absence is other than voluntary.
When you encounter those reporting persons, and family members, who
are obviously distressed, you have to take the time to explain that
family members and friends of the missing person are the best
investigators for the initial development of information simply because
they're already familiar with many aspects of the missing person's
personality, habits, and lifestyle. You'll also stress that police will
always be available to them for advice or physical assistance when any
credible information is developed on which you can act.
Your department will have written procedures for handling missing
person incidents. For example, when the missing person is a small
child, infant, or an elderly person with a life threatening medical
condition, you'll initiate immediate and active police assistance as
outlined in your procedure. While these circumstances are pretty
common sense stuff, you should make yourself thoroughly familiar with
all your department's published procedures. Never take anything for
granted. A seemingly routine missing person incident can turn into just
about anything...even murder.
In the example I just described, the victim in that case could have
remained a missing person indefinitely. His social status, primarily of
his own making, placed him into a category of persons who would not be
missed by too many people...if any. The prostitute, who located his
grave, knew that fact well. While she had been the victim of attempted
murder, surviving only through the efforts of some pretty top notch
emergency room doctors, no efforts were made to investigate her
assault beyond the initial report; until, she was contacted by members of
my squad. There was even more irony. She had been assaulted within
that very same park. Fortunately, her assault occurred near the care
taker's residence, and she was able to reach the residence, before she
lost consciousness. I'm sure she thought about how long she would have
lain in that jungle like park before anyone would have found her body.
It makes one wonder just how many murder victims are still filed away
as missing persons. There's plenty to be sure, and that's why you must
always conduct a competent and thorough investigation of every missing
person report you take.
in assisting them when no evidence exists to indicate that the missing
person's absence is other than voluntary.
When you encounter those reporting persons, and family members, who
are obviously distressed, you have to take the time to explain that
family members and friends of the missing person are the best
investigators for the initial development of information simply because
they're already familiar with many aspects of the missing person's
personality, habits, and lifestyle. You'll also stress that police will
always be available to them for advice or physical assistance when any
credible information is developed on which you can act.
Your department will have written procedures for handling missing
person incidents. For example, when the missing person is a small
child, infant, or an elderly person with a life threatening medical
condition, you'll initiate immediate and active police assistance as
outlined in your procedure. While these circumstances are pretty
common sense stuff, you should make yourself thoroughly familiar with
all your department's published procedures. Never take anything for
granted. A seemingly routine missing person incident can turn into just
about anything...even murder.
In the example I just described, the victim in that case could have
remained a missing person indefinitely. His social status, primarily of
his own making, placed him into a category of persons who would not be
missed by too many people...if any. The prostitute, who located his
grave, knew that fact well. While she had been the victim of attempted
murder, surviving only through the efforts of some pretty top notch
emergency room doctors, no efforts were made to investigate her
assault beyond the initial report; until, she was contacted by members of
my squad. There was even more irony. She had been assaulted within
that very same park. Fortunately, her assault occurred near the care
taker's residence, and she was able to reach the residence, before she
lost consciousness. I'm sure she thought about how long she would have
lain in that jungle like park before anyone would have found her body.
It makes one wonder just how many murder victims are still filed away
as missing persons. There's plenty to be sure, and that's why you must
always conduct a competent and thorough investigation of every missing
person report you take.
As a special operations lieutenant, one of the squads under my
command was responsible for prostitution enforcement. The
squad regularly conducted operations where 20 to 30
prostitutes would be arrested in one evening. While the
reason for the arrests was prostitution, the real purpose of the
operations was to conduct interviews of the prostitutes to
acquire information regarding serious criminal activities.
On this occasion, one of the women couldn't wait for her turn
to be interviewed. She knew that the information she
possessed would be her get of jail free card. She walked up to
an officer, who was in conversation with another officer, and
tugged on his shirt sleeve. The officer turned to her and
directed her to return to her seat. As he turned back toward
the other officer, the woman tugged on his sleeve again. This
time, before he could say anything, the woman stated, "You
don't understand. I know where there's a body."
This woman had quite a story. Several days earlier she was
inside a house with a number of other people. She described
how she witnessed four men beat another man to death. Her
description of the events became even more graphic when she
described how the suspects placed the victim's naked corpse
into a bathtub filled with scalding hot water in an effort to
make the victim unidentifiable. She described how the
victim's skin came off his corpse and congealed around the
edges of the tub.
While our prostitute could not give us the current exact
location of the body, she did provide the location where the
suspects carried the corpse, along with shovels, into a city
park which had a notorious reputation as a final destination
for murder victims.
It didn't take long for us to identify the victim and the four
suspects. Sure enough, there was a missing person report on
file for the victim. Earlier that same day, an officer had
returned to the victim's resident where he filed a follow-up
report indicating that there was no additional information
regarding the missing person. In effect, we went directly from
a routine missing person incident to a murder which we solved
even before we had a body.
A K-9 search of the park, or that area of the park identified
by our witness, was conducted the same night without finding
the body. It was decided that Homicide detectives and K-9
would return at daylight to conduct a more extensive search.
However, just after daybreak, a second prostitute, not one of
those arrested the night before, called police. She led officers
into the park to a shallow grave that contained a naked man
disfigured as described by our witness.
To me, the most interesting part of this incident was the
second prostitute. Exactly one year earlier she had been the
victim of a horribly brutal assault by two men who solicited
her for prostitution. While we had never arrested her, we
interviewed her several times, because we believed the
suspects who assaulted her were responsible for other assaults
on prostitutes. It just goes to show you that when you treat all
victims as victims, some will appreciate your efforts, and, in
some cases, they will return the favor.
command was responsible for prostitution enforcement. The
squad regularly conducted operations where 20 to 30
prostitutes would be arrested in one evening. While the
reason for the arrests was prostitution, the real purpose of the
operations was to conduct interviews of the prostitutes to
acquire information regarding serious criminal activities.
On this occasion, one of the women couldn't wait for her turn
to be interviewed. She knew that the information she
possessed would be her get of jail free card. She walked up to
an officer, who was in conversation with another officer, and
tugged on his shirt sleeve. The officer turned to her and
directed her to return to her seat. As he turned back toward
the other officer, the woman tugged on his sleeve again. This
time, before he could say anything, the woman stated, "You
don't understand. I know where there's a body."
This woman had quite a story. Several days earlier she was
inside a house with a number of other people. She described
how she witnessed four men beat another man to death. Her
description of the events became even more graphic when she
described how the suspects placed the victim's naked corpse
into a bathtub filled with scalding hot water in an effort to
make the victim unidentifiable. She described how the
victim's skin came off his corpse and congealed around the
edges of the tub.
While our prostitute could not give us the current exact
location of the body, she did provide the location where the
suspects carried the corpse, along with shovels, into a city
park which had a notorious reputation as a final destination
for murder victims.
It didn't take long for us to identify the victim and the four
suspects. Sure enough, there was a missing person report on
file for the victim. Earlier that same day, an officer had
returned to the victim's resident where he filed a follow-up
report indicating that there was no additional information
regarding the missing person. In effect, we went directly from
a routine missing person incident to a murder which we solved
even before we had a body.
A K-9 search of the park, or that area of the park identified
by our witness, was conducted the same night without finding
the body. It was decided that Homicide detectives and K-9
would return at daylight to conduct a more extensive search.
However, just after daybreak, a second prostitute, not one of
those arrested the night before, called police. She led officers
into the park to a shallow grave that contained a naked man
disfigured as described by our witness.
To me, the most interesting part of this incident was the
second prostitute. Exactly one year earlier she had been the
victim of a horribly brutal assault by two men who solicited
her for prostitution. While we had never arrested her, we
interviewed her several times, because we believed the
suspects who assaulted her were responsible for other assaults
on prostitutes. It just goes to show you that when you treat all
victims as victims, some will appreciate your efforts, and, in
some cases, they will return the favor.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Copyright © 2006 - 2012 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
| Disclaimer |
| CareerPoliceOfficer.com is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. Links are provided only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by this site. |
| Online Video Learning Systems: Police Exam - U.S. Border Patrol Exam |