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Careers: Police/Missing 2-year old

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Expert: - 9/26/2011


Question
I am writing a novel, and I am wondering what police might plausibly do once a young child, around 2-years old, is reported missing from her home in a small suburb.

I can assume they would conduct interviews immediately.  But at what point do they begin a physical search?  Suspecting that the child might have crawled off and gotten lost, at what point might they begin a wide-scale search of nearby forests?  When would dogs, helicopters, divers, etc. be called in?  And under what circumstances would a local police dept. turn the investigation over to the state?  To the FBI?

Feel free to speculate about details, but let's assume there is no reason to suspect it was an abduction.  That said, if you ran a suburban police department, what would you do when a toddler disappears?

Answer
Diane,

It would have to be resolved very quickly whether there are any child custody issues.  If there are none then the parent(s) would be asked to describe (very quickly) where the last place they saw the child.  Most importantly the house would be searched at least four times by four different people.  Most missing children are found in the house either in closets, laundry rooms, or other hidden spaces.

If the kid is not in the house then the surrounding neighborhood would be searched.  It depends on how big the police department is and how many officers they have to commit to the search.  If its a one horse town with three officers on the street then they would have to call for help from surrounding jurisdictions or departments.  Most likely there would be an agreement between the police department and surrounding departments about who helps who and in what circumstances.

If they have a helicopter and dogs then that's great.  If they don't then they would request that assistance from the next largest department.

The FBI would not be involved unless it is a clear case of kidnapping for ransom.

Careers: Police

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Jack Toomey

Expertise

U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.

Experience

Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.

Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.

Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.

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