How Do I Put Someone on a Missing Person Page?
- 1). Call your local police or sheriff's department for information on the missing persons process where you live. As a general rule, while you can report a missing person to police immediately, for privacy reasons police will not take an active role in searching for a missing person for 48 to 72 hours after he is missing unless there is evidence of foul play or endangerment. This is a legal requirement because, in many cases, an adult might just decide to go "missing" for a short while because he is depressed or angry with his spouse or other family members and leave for a period of time as he is unable to deal with the situation. However, many adults in these situations return home within 48 to 72 hours, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
- 2). Contact law enforcement authorities immediately if a child or a mentally incompetent adult goes missing. This is a different legal situation and, in these circumstances, law enforcement authorities almost always begin the search for the missing person immediately. Most experts suggest also informing local newspapers and television stations when a child goes missing. Many states now have an "Amber Alert" system in place where local police and media outlets immediately spread the news of a missing child to the general public for help in finding her.
- 3). Contact a national registry for missing persons. All of the national registries for missing persons require that an adult be missing for some period of time before they will add that person to their missing persons list, but you can contact these organizations as soon as the person is legally declared missing to get more information and begin the listing process. These organizations can also direct you to local support groups to learn about the steps you can take and find moral and emotional support.
