“At the heart of it, that can be started by the inherent bias and racism that exists.” “The first initial encounter with law enforcement really sets the ball rolling for how these individual cases are being handled and treated and even responded to in the media,” said Gaétane Borders, president of Peas in Their Pods, a nonprofit that advocates for missing children of color and their families. That discretion can result in discrimination. That officer’s opinions about the child’s maturity, mental health or relationship with their parents can dramatically affect the quality of the investigation – or whether there is an investigation at all. That gives the first patrol officer who speaks to a missing child’s family enormous power. If children are over the age limits, their cases require special circumstances – such as a health condition that requires medication or a drug addiction – to warrant extra effort. That means a missing 11-year-old in Louisville would typically draw less attention from law enforcement than a 16-year-old in New Hampshire. For the New Hampshire State Police, it’s 17. In Louisville, for example, the cutoff is 10. More than 60% of the agencies examined by USA TODAY set a maximum age at which missing children are considered “critical” or “at risk” and therefore worthy of thorough investigation regardless of the circumstances. JOESPH PREZIOZO, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES YI-KE PENG, THE COURIER-JOURNAL For the New Hampshire State Police, the general age cutoff for more extensive police investigation into a missing child is 17. In dozens of cities and towns, the child’s age alone can move them to the bottom of the priority list, according to a USA TODAY analysis of standard operating procedures for more than 50 law enforcement organizations. Once that happens, it takes a preliminary investigation or an officer’s initiative to move them back up.įor the New Hampshire State Police, the general age cutoff for more extensive police investigation into a missing child is 17. As a result, kids the same age can disappear under similar circumstances and receive vastly different responses from police. The degree of effort often depends entirely on a child's age or an officer’s discretion. Law enforcement agencies across the country operate under a patchwork of rules that govern how intensely they search for missing children. What happens next depends on where you live. You panic, running down the block to make sure, but there’s been no mistake. Distress is palpable in her voice as she tells you he isn’t there. When dinnertime approaches and he hasn’t returned, you call his friend’s mom and ask her to send your son home. Your 11-year-old son walks down the street to play with a friend after school.
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