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  These Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) are designed to provide a better understanding of how to file a Missing person Report.  Some of this information is excerpted from the Center for Hope and can be found at hopeforthemissing.org. 

If a police department refuses to take a report, what can I do?
If you have a legitimate request (see link) you can request to speak to the supervisor and so on up the line. If that fails, you may want to consider presenting you case to political representatives and/or the media. In a ddition, you can continue to rpesnet your case explaing why your missing loved one falls into the e guedlent for a missing person. You can also hire a preivate investigator to investig the ciremdnsatnces ssuron the disaperance for presentation to law enforecment

Once a report has been filed, do the police launch an active investigation?
This is a common misconception. An official report is a start, but an active investigation may not be launched unless there is evidence foul play.

Is there a waiting period?
There is no law requiring a waiting period, but individual departments may have their own policies in place. In fact, the sooner law enforcement has a case the sooner they can get to work in helping you find the missing person. If any foul play is suspected or the person is at a high risk due to a medical condition, the investigation changes and escalates accordingly.

Can I file a missing person report by telephone?
Most police departments will balk or refuse to take a report by phone. There is a need to verify that the person filing the report is legitimate member/spokesperson for the family.

Should the report be filed where the missing person resides or where he/she was last seen or heard from?
This is not etched in stone. Families sometimes get bounced between agencies, neither wanting to accept responsibility. It is our opinion that unless the person is believed to have returned to the home town area, the report should be filed where the person was last seen/heard from.

My loved one disappeared years ago under unexplained circumstances, is it too late to file a missing person report?
Police agencies have been know to refuse to accept a report because of the number of years elapsed. There is no statute of limitations.

What information should I have available to make a police report?

• The missing person's full name, date of birth, and social security number.
• A good quality head shot photo (front and size views, if available)
• Details of where and when they were last seen or heard from.
• Details of any vehicle that may be involved.
• Any known travel plans or destinations.
• Details of any persons in the company of the missing person.
• A description of what the missing person was wearing.
• A description of any unique physical or speech characteristics.
• The name and phone number of the missing person's dentist.

Will information from the missing person report be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
They can be entered into NCIC only when the missing person has a physical handicap or mental disability, if they are missing involuntarily (kidnapped), if they are a victim of a catastrophe or if they are in some way endangered.

Should I post a reward?
In addition to providing an incentive for someone with knowledge to come forward, posting a reward is a good way to bring the missing person’s name back into public view when story grows cold. Families should construct the reward wording in conjunction with law enforcement or legal counsel, if at all possible. Families should not place themselves in the position of deciding whether tips qualify for a payout.

Can I Hire My Own Investigator?
If you are considering hiring a private investigator to help locate a missing loved one, check with your attorney for referral. Contact the Better Business Bureau and the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney Generals Office to find out if any complaints have been made against the private detective. Also check with the your State Department of Licensing to make sure their license is current. Ask the detective for references and check them out. It is a good idea to have your lawyer review the contract with the investigator before you sign it or pay any money. Have the contract spell out exactly what services are being purchased. Once you have hired a private investigator, consider notifying all those working on the case. Your private investigator's search activities should be coordinated to the fullest extent possible to avoid costly and time-consuming duplication of services.

Can Media Be Used To Help The Investigation?
Yes. Check your police agency, if applicable, to make sure that media coverage will not imperil the missing loved one or impede the investigation. Have all posters and flyers approved by the Sheriff's Office prior to releasing. Television, radio and magazine coverage may help you find your missing loved one. Contact local and national media with your story. Make sure you have a recent photo and complete description of the missing person including age, date, time, place and circumstances of the disappearance. If the missing person is disabled or elderly and requires medication or medical attention, emphasize that. If there has been coverage, call the news outlet if a birthday or anniversary has passed without a word from the missing person. Rewards can be helpful to generate leads and to create a news story. If you are planning to offer a sizeable reward, increase it incrementally to create an additional news story. Don't forget cable stations and the Internet. You can create a home page devoted to the missing person, link it up to other missing person's pages and post information about your missing person on the web. If your police agency issues a press release about your missing loved one, press may be more receptive. If you are successful in obtaining publicity about your missing. Devise "media hooks" to keep your loved one's story in front of the public.

• Candlelight vigil
• Announce a reward
• Show how celebrations such as a birthday, holiday, or graduation are different without your loved one.
• Schedule special fundraising events
• Also, remember to coordinate all events and activities with law enforcement, because they can be an important part of the overall investigative strategy.
• Give the story a new slant. Try bringing in someone new to discuss the case, such as a politician, sports personality, popular entertainer, or someone close to the investigation.
• Pace yourself. Parcel out new developments in the case in separate announcements to spread coverage over a longer period of time.

How can I use the media, without having my privacy invaded?

• Don't open up your home to the media without restrictions or limitations.
• Check with law enforcement first.
• Don't feel that you are personally obligated to provide all interviews or to participate in all media events.

The following guidelines were written by the National Victim Center to minimize the possibility of a second victimization inflicted by the mishandling of a story by the media.
You have the right:

• to say no to an interview.
• to select the spokesperson or advocate of your choice.
• to select the time and location for media interviews.
• to request a specific reporter.
• to refuse an interview with a specific reporter even though you have granted interviews to other reporters.
• to say no to an interview even though you have previously granted interviews.
• to release a written statement through a spokesperson in lieu of an interview.
• to exclude children from interviews.
• to refrain from answering any questions that make you uncomfortable or that seem inappropriate.
• to know in advance what direction the story about your victimization is going to take.
• to ask for review of your quotations in a storyline prior to publication.
• to avoid a press conference atmosphere and to speak to only one reporter at a time.
• to demand a retraction when inaccurate information is reported.
• to ask that offensive photographs or visuals be omitted from airing or publication.
• to conduct a television interview using a silhouette or a newspaper interview without having your photograph taken.
• to be treated with dignity and respect by the media at all times.

How do the police decide if it is a legitimate missing person case?
Every person can voluntarily absent themselves and become missing. There is no crime of being missing, and if a person is voluntarily missing, they are entitled to their privacy. You will need to help law enforcement understand if in your case, the "missing" is not voluntary. There are several factors that will influence the reporting officer's determination of whether the missing is voluntary. Some of those are:

• Have they failed to perform an important task? (i.e., pick-up children from babysitter, loved one from work)
• Do they suffer from any mental or cognitive impairment?
• Do they have a history of being "missing"?
• Are they having relationship problems?
• Are they having financial problems?
• Have they been despondent or depressed?
• Are any of their personal belongings missing? (i.e., clothing or toiletries)
• Have they recently suffered the loss of a loved one, or the end of a long term relationship? Is it near the anniversary date of the loss of a loved one?
• Is their car missing?
• Is their wallet missing?
• Are they having difficulties at work or school?
• Did they take necessary prescriptions with them?
• Have they drained their bank account?
• Did they fail to return from a recreational outing in a geographically defined wilderness area (hiking, camping, boating, etc.).

DNA collection from family members- https://www.findthemissing.org/documents/NamUs-DNA_Protocol_for_Collection.pdf

• Will the Social Security Administration assist families to locate a missing relative?
  To try to locate an address in our records, we need the missing person's Social Security number or identifying information to help us find the number. The identifying information needed is the person's date and place of birth, the father's name, and the mother's full birth name. For detailed information click on this link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/html/ltrfwding.htm