Official Web Site of the City of Phoenix

The Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Detail is responsible for the follow-up investigation of missing person reports.  The detail typically handles thousands of reports every year.   The goals of the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Detail are:

1. To ensure a reported missing person is not a victim of foul play. 

2. To ensure runaway juveniles are listed properly in the National Crime Information Computer (NCIC) and to assist parents in locating their runaway children and returning them home safely.

3. To activate the Amber Alert in the rare circumstance of a child abduction.

Missing Adults:

Thousands of adults are reported missing to the Phoenix Police Department every year.  There are many misconceptions about these types of investigations.  For instance, many people believe that they must wait a certain time period to report someone missing.  This is not true.  There is no time limit.  However, the Phoenix Police Department asks that the public exercise common sense and exhaust other means before calling the police.  For example, first contact all family and friends of the missing person to ensure there was not a miscommunication, traffic delay, or other reason for their disappearance.  Check hospitals and the local jails.  Make every attempt to contact and locate the missing person before filing a report.

Another misconception is that only a family member can file a missing person report.  This is not true.  Any one can file a missing person report if they have a legitimate concern about a person’s welfare.

In any missing person case involving an adult, the reporting party will be asked to complete the Missing Person Adult Waiver form within 72 hours of filing the report.  This form is available at any Phoenix Police station or here (Affidavit).  If this form is not completed in a timely fashion, the report may be canceled.

A missing person report should be filed in the jurisdiction where the person was last seen.  There are many reasons for this.  Any search for a missing person must begin where the person was last seen and the law enforcement jurisdiction responsible for that area is best suited to conduct that search.  Second, if foul play is involved in the person’s disappearance, then the jurisdiction where they disappeared will likely handle the subsequent criminal investigation.

In missing adult cases, the role of the Phoenix Police Department is only to verify the person’s welfare.  We will not reveal the whereabouts of an adult missing person to the reporting person or any other details.  Similarly, detectives will not “pass on a message” or provide contact information for a missing person.  Private investigators can be hired to do such services.

There are many internet sources which can assist a family in locating a loved one.  Links to some of these websites are on this page.

The initial missing person report will be taken by a patrol officer.  A detective will be assigned the case, review it, and likely contact the reporting person within a few days.  To assist the investigator, please gather together some of the following information:  a complete physical description of the missing person, including identifying features such as scars, marks, tattoos, piercings; a photograph of the missing person; availability and source of medical and dental records; list of family, friends, and associates; work or school information; financial records; computer social networking information; and any other information on the missing person which may help an investigator locate him or her.

Investigators request that reporting parties be completely honest and disclose any substance abuse issues, mental health issues, or criminal activity by the missing person.  Failure to do so will only impede the investigation and possibly prevent an investigator from resolving a case.

Most cases resolve within a few days or weeks.  In the unlikely instance where the case remains open for an extended period of time, family may be asked to locate and obtain dental records or provide a DNA reference sample to be entered into CODIS for comparison to unidentified remains.  If a case goes long-term, please update detectives with any changes in address or phone number.

Runaways:
Running away is not a crime.  Because they are juveniles, the child will be entered into a national database (NCIC). If an officer anywhere in the country runs a check on the child, a 'hit' will come up advising the officer of the runaway status. The officer will then verify the child's identity and the child's parents will be contacted to take custody of their child. Refusing to do so may result in the parent / guardian being charged with child neglect.

The primary responsibility of the Phoenix Police Department's Missing Persons Unit is for missing persons who are truly missing. Yes, there is a difference between a missing person and a runaway. A missing person case has an unexplained disappearance; whereas the runaway has a motive to disappear and does not want to be found. The Missing Persons Unit has resources not available to the general public and can tap into many databases to assist the parents. The Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Investigators are very willing to assist you in finding your child.  However, the primary responsibility for locating a runaway falls on the parent or guardian of the child. 

Finding and recovering a runaway child depends greatly on the active and aggressive participation of the parent / guardian. Searching for your child may seem overwhelming and a parent will feel completely lost as how to search or where to start.

Here are a few tips to help you start finding your runaway.

• Make a list of all friends, associates and classmates, and start calling.

• Who is the boyfriend / girlfriend and where do they live?

• This lets your runaway know that you are hot on their trail and are serious about finding them.

• Last names, phone numbers and addresses are a great help if you have something you would like the investigator to help with.

• Many runaways have been trained by other runaways and will tell your child to take date books and photos with them or destroy them.

• The runaway may clear all telephone numbers from a cellular telephone databank so that you won't call their friends.

• Keep track of who you have contacted, what they told you and when.

• Your runaway's friends will often hide the truth from you and investigators.

• Document the names of the parents and tell the parents that you absolutely do not give permission for your runaway to stay or live anywhere except home.

• Because running away is not a crime, court orders for cellular telephone records cannot be obtained. If the cellular telephone that your runaway might be using is in your name, you can get the call records without a court order.

• Consider *57.

• If your child calls home, you can dial *57. This is an actual trace done by the telephone company. There is a small fee for each *57. (Approx. $2.00 per each trace request)

• After the call, hang up and immediately get a new dial tone before any other incoming calls and dial *57. Stay on the line and wait for the 1-800 number that you will receive from a message machine.

• Document the date, time and telephone number that you used. This may not work on incoming cellular telephone calls.

• Call the investigator with the information. The information can only be released to a law enforcement agency and it requires a police PIN number and an active case number.

• Not all traces are successful. From some cordless telephone or rotary dial telephones use *1157

• List all of the "hang outs" and activities of your child.

• You may know of several and the runaway's friends may give you more.

• Let the investigator know if the runaway has used or is using drugs.

• List what the runaway enjoys doing in his/her spare time.

• Has the runaway talked about places where they had fun?

• List what the runaway took with them.

• How many changes of clothing?

• Any food or money taken?

• Cellular telephone or pager with your child?

• Make-up or toys missing? (CD player, video game systems, skateboard, bicycle, etc.)

• Check telephone, computer / Internet access.

• Check the computer history. You may find that a bus ticket was purchased.

• Search for e-mail to friends and messages about running away.

• Check your long distance telephone log.

• Check with the school and any employers.

• The school will be glad to give you an attendance history.

• The school staff and security officers may know friends that you don't.

• Is your runaway expecting a paycheck soon?

• Are there work associates that you are not aware of?

• What is the work history like? Unexcused absences from work?

• Monitor your home.

• Many runaways will sneak home to steal food, money and get more clothing. Many times they don't come alone.

• Is there a way to secure your home and know if the runaway was there while you were at work or away?

Parents or guardians are urged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678.  NCMEC is a non-profit organization that will help parents in locating runaways and missing children.  They can assist parents in creating flyers and have many resources to locating runaways.  There is no cost but you will need to have the police report number when you call.

Some runaway cases may last months. It is the responsibility of the parent / guardian to call the investigator and validate that the child is still missing every 30 days. (NCIC policy). If contact is lost with the parent / guardian for any significant time, the case may be cleared and dropped.

Be sure to call the investigator you are working with to notify them of the child's return. If your child was found and returned by any police agency, please notify the investigator assisting on your case.

Amber Alert:
The Amber Alert is a system designed to be implemented in the rare circumstance of a child abduction.  Amber Alerts are not issued for runaways, missing or lost children, or custodial situations.  They are reserved for when a child is abducted. 

If you have information on any Missing Person case please contact the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Details.

Monday through Friday, 7 A.M. to 4 P.M.:  602-534-2121
After hours and weekends:  602-262-6141