police dispatchers?

Question

i called the police and told them that my 19 year old sister was not home yet and its 3 am, can you please notify the officers and let them know to be on a look out for a red saturn license plate ####? the dispatcher tells me we cant do nothin about it till after 24 hours because she is an adult?

Answer 1

So did she come home? If not... now is the time to call the police!

Answer 2

As a police dispatcher, I am throughly familiar with this situation. Unless she is an endangered, critical missing, or a special circumstance(mental retartdation, or other illnesses), this is just about a standard practice for alot of police agencies. However, the police department may take a report and enter her into the National Crime Information Center(NCIC) as soon as they would like, they don't have to wait 24 hours. I would be firm but polite about you wanting them to take a report. It's not really all that time consuming, it takes the officer about 20-30 minutes to make the report, and about another 20-30 minutes to enter her into the sysyem. If she comes in contact with the police it will send a message to that agency and the agency that took the report. If your not able to make any progress, try calling the state police.

Answer 3

And you think this is abnormal how?

How many adults do you know of who, on the way home from work, will meet someone she finds utterly attractive, and then decide to spend the entire rest of the evening with them, winding up having breakfast and/or lunch together before even beginning to think of any loved ones who might be worried about them.

Just because I didn't ever do that kind of thing doesn't mean that others don't.

And by that, I mean that I never actually wound up spending the night away on a whim wihout at least asking one of the neighbors to go tape a note to the door.

But, how many adults were raised to be the ultra-responsible boy-scout type of person like me?

Unfortunately not too many.

College aged kids are notorious for doing this sort of thing.

It's sad, but true.

The vast majority of less-than-seventy-two-hour disappearances wind up simply being someone who fell so head-over-heels in love with someone and went away for the weekend, and didn't even begin to think of what their loved ones might be thinking about it until they're on their way back home.

If we had every law-enforcement agency looking for every short-term disappearance that was reported, we'd have a backlog of way more than a decade.

It doesn't do anything to calm your nerves, I know. Beleive me, I know. I've been there with my own kids. But, we can't make the law-enforcement system responsible for everybody's whereabouts like that without completely putting a halt to the other emergency services that are in such desperate need of being provided.

I do hope the very best for you and your sister.

Answer 4

Legal is not always fair, or moral. They assume that adults can come and go as they please, so disappearing for 24 hrs is another right granted.
In Connecticut, after 16, a child can disappear and the cops not even mind taking the report for 24 hours.

I hope everything is well, and chances are everything is OK, and she may have chosen to spend some time on her own without accounting to anyone else.

Answer 5

I've looked into this before. You don't take a test. The following are the necessary qualifications: at least 18 yrs old, high school diploma/GED, type well, pass a complete background check, train for 6 months, obtain CPR certification. Good luck!

Answer 6

each department has different regulations and guidelines on how they would handle this situation - as a missing adult

our Sheriff's Office in FLA would take the information and within a few minutes - a radio BOLO (be on the lookout) would be broadcast

all the best - hope she is safe

Answer 7

that is right... she is an adult and they cannot do anything for 24 hours.. because she is an adult and should be able to take care of herself..

what do you think she was actually doing at 3am? I think at that age she knows what she is doing, and can take care of herself,,, don't worry she will be allright,, she has a cell phone and will call,,,

Answer 8

Right. Unless there is a suspicious circumstance surrounding her disappearance, nothing will be done. We can't go looking for every drunk relative that doesn't come home on time can we?

Answer 9

you can't report someone as "missing" until after 24 hours....just the law. Cops are too busy to be trying to find everyone that doesn't come home when expected.

Answer 10

yeah they are right it's not like she's 7-years-old.


Good luck, peace