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		Understanding the Investigative Process of Locating A Missing Student By Kim Shaw, Detective, Temple University Police When I was promoted to the position of detective years ago, I despised receiving the phone call, "My daughter attends your college, and I haven’t been able to contact her. Her roommate hasn’t heard from her either." With time I realized that tracking down the missing student would be time consuming, and that the student would more than likely materialize after visiting friends or taking an impromptu vacation. I sometimes wondered about parents giving their children space and letting them grow up, and students taking responsibility and calling their parents to let them know that they are traveling or visiting a friend. I guess this would all happen in an ideal world. As I have grown professionally, I have realized how difficult that these calls are for parents to make. I have also come to realize how important these calls are, since every year nearly 1 million people are reported missing across the country. I have read the horror stories of college students that were reported missing, and are still missing to this day. My heart goes out to their families. As a parent of a student finishing her freshman year at college, I can certainly empathize with the concerned parent calling to report their child missing. The calls about missing students happen more frequently than any of us working in Higher Education would like. The process of locating a missing student can be very challenging. If you receive a call about a missing student: Follow your campus protocol and immediately report the missing student to your campus police, security, local police: There should be a collaborative effort of all agencies involved to locate the student. Some agencies may be more cooperative with the police in releasing confidential information than with college administrators. There is less chance of duplicating work, and more bases can be covered at a quicker pace when working together as a team. Police have the capability of entering the missing students name into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File. In locating a missing student, Campus Police or local police agencies commonly pursue a wide variety of information as part of the investigative process. This process will most likely include the following: Conducting thorough interviews Parents, friends, roommates, professors, and classmates friendly with the student will most likely all be interviewed. This part of the investigation will include gathering as much information as possible. That information may include: determining when, where, and by whom the student was last seen, (the interview with the person who had last contact with the missing student is very important) obtaining a brief history of family dynamics finding out what the student was last seen wearing researching the student’s demeanor/behavior finding out about any medication that the student may have been taking determining whether there is any history of alcohol problems, mental illness, or drugs assessing the student’s health determining whether the student has ever done this before and if so what was the cause and outcome researching whether the student has personal problems (i.e. boyfriend, friends) evaluating how the student is currently doing in school inquiring about the student’s friends inquiring whether the student kept a diary or journal researching as to whether the student has access to a car, and if yes the tag number, make, model, and year of the car finding out if the student is employed, along with their place of employment, when were they last at work and did any employment problems exist Visiting the students residence hall room A visit to a missing student’s residence hall room can provide a great deal of information. This visit may involve an assessment of the following: asking the roommate or close friends whether anything in the student’s room looks out of sorts evaluating the critical things that the student would take if they were going on an overnight trip (i.e. make-up, favorite clothing, etc), and determining whether those things are missing from the room looking for the student’s telephone and address book looking for any missing books that the student may use for class looking for the students book bag checking the student’s appointment book/calendar Obtaining the students telephone book/ phone bill with numbers listed/computer information Once this information is obtained, individuals who are looking for students will most likely start calling people listed and briefly explaining that they are looking for the student, and wanting to make sure that she/he is safe. Often friends know where the students is, and they are reluctant to reveal the information for fear that the student will get into trouble. Investigators looking for students typically leave their name and number to facilitate a call back, and information about any anonymous tip lines about the student that may be available. Investigators typically pursue information on a student’s university computer account if one exists, looking for any recent activity on the account and checking for web-site visits, (i.e. mapquest.com). E-Mail messages are sometimes also pursued, as they may provide insight as to the student’s whereabouts. Obtaining the students class schedule Investigators typically contact professors to find out the last time the student attended class, as this helps to pinpoint the last time the student was seen on campus. They may also investigate how the student behaves in class, the student’s grades, and whether the student is friendly with anyone in particular in class. Obtaining a recent photograph If a student is not located within a reasonable amount of time, investigators may consider distributing fliers about the missing student throughout the campus. Soliciting the help of the media, radio, television, and local newspapers may also be pursued. Checking Assess Card Activity If the student has an access card that they must swipe to enter the residence halls or dining facility, or to purchase from vending machines, information on the last time the card was used may be pursued, as this can help to pin-point time. Checking ATM Cards/ Credit Cards/Banks Investigators may ascertain whether the student had a MAC card or credit card. Through contacting Loss Prevention Departments, investigators can determine the last date, location, and time that the cards were used. Investigators may also determine whether any recent activity with bank accounts has occurred. Contacting Local Mental Health Agencies/Clinics Although reluctance may exist on the part of these agencies to release information regarding patients due to confidentiality reasons, investigators may contact these agencies. Checking Arrests Arrest records are public information. Police have access to computerized systems to determine whether the student has been arrested locally or nationally, and this information may be pursued. Checking Area Hospitals/Morgue Investigators may contact lists of local hospitals and emergency rooms, and inquire about any "Jane/John Doe’s" that have been admitted. The local morgue may also be contacted, regarding "Jane/John Doe’s". Contacting Outside Resources Investigators may also choose to contact State Police, or statewide clearinghouses, which are central repositories of information for stated missing persons. They may also pursue Internet resources, such as www.campussafety.org, which has valuable information under Resources/Missing Students. The investigation of a missing student is a long and arduous process. Through understanding this process, you can assist in anticipating requests and serving as a resource. As stated earlier, a thorough and well-coordinated team approach best serves the interests of missing students and their families, during what can be a tense and stressful time. About the Author Kimberly Shaw has been a Detective with the Temple University Police Department since 1993, where she is currently working on her Masters in Education. Kim is an Instructor for the Municipal Police Officer Education Commission for the state of Pennsylvania, and also instructs for R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) and Verbal Judo. Kim has two children and enjoys traveling and roller-blading.