In 2017, according to the FBI, there were 464,324 National Crime Information Center entries for missing children. However, a question we wanted to answer related to this number is: How do police define at-risk missing persons cases?
We reached out to several law enforcement agencies. The police departments in Elk Grove, Sacramento and Stockton got back to us.
Many of them consider missing and runaways the same under their penal code, but there are several reasons to classify a case as "at-risk."
Some of the reasons of classifying a case as "at-risk" includes if the person is a victim of a crime or foul play, in need of medical attention, has no pattern of running away of disappearing, if the person is a victim of a parental abduction/kidnapping, mentally impaired, or a variety of other reasons.
Many agencies work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Last year, it worked on 27,000 cases with law enforcement and families across the country and a majority of them are endangered runaways.
A "Missing in California" event will be held in June in Sacramento. Law enforcement around the state will be there to help families find missing loved ones.
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