Missing Persons Clearinghouse - NY DCJS

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual ReportNYS AMBER, Missing Child Alert, Missing College Student Alert andMissing Vulnerable Adult Alert Program DescriptionsWhen a missing child, college student or vulnerable adult case involves significant endangerment, alertprograms are used to ensure the most rapid and widespread dissemination of information possible. Notall cases result in Alert activation; certain criteria must be met. The New York State AMBER Alert Program, administered by the New York State Police. TheState Police partner with the MPC, the New York State Broadcasters’Association, local law enforcement, local broadcasters and others toimmediately involve the public in the search for an abducted childunder the age of 18. Investigating agencies submit case informationdirectly to the State Police Communications Section in Albany and theState Police then electronically distribute alert posters to broadcasters,law enforcement agencies and other entities in the area of theabduction. Case details are shared via television and radio stations,highway message signs, in-store lottery ticket terminals and Thruway service area televisions.When there is known vehicle information, a request is sent to law enforcement agencies throughoutNew York State to activate license plate readers (LPRs). The State Police, DCJS and NCMECwebsites are updated and anyone who has subscribed to the state’s NY-ALERT system is notifiedvia e-mail or mobile device. The New York State Missing Child Alert and Missing College Student Alert Program,administered by the MPC. When a missing child under the age of 21 ora college student of any age is deemed to be endangered, but the casedoes not meet AMBER Alert activation criteria, there are twoalternative alert systems available: the Missing Child Alert andMissing College Student Alert programs. A missing child or collegestudent can be at serious risk of bodily harm or death without anabduction occurring. For example, children with Down syndrome,autism or other medical conditions can be at an extreme safety risk if they go missing.When a Missing Child or Missing College Student Alert is activated, information about the missingchild or college student can be distributed electronically throughoutNew York State to every police agency, television and radio stationsand newspapers, New York State Thruway travel plazas/toll barriers,airports, bus terminals, train stations, border crossings, alertsubscribers and others in the activated region within minutes.Broadcasters are not required to publicize these alerts. Information isalso posted to the DCJS website and the National Center for Missingand Exploited Children (NCMEC) website. Alerts for missing children and college students areactivated for 72 hours, unless law enforcement requests an extension. When that timeframeexpires, cases for which alerts are issued are converted to standard cases, which are publicized onthe DCJS website.8

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual Report The New York State Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert Program,administered by the MPC. When a vulnerable adult who is at least 18years old and is deemed to have a cognitive impairment, mentaldisability or brain disorder goes missing and is at a credible threat ofharm, the Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert is available. Distribution ofinformation is identical to that used for a Missing Child Alert.Distribution MechanismsAMBERAlertMissingChild/CollegeStudent AlertMissingChild(No Alert)MissingVulnerableAdult AlertMissingVulnerableAdult(No Alert)NYS Division of Criminal Justice ServicesWebsiteXXXXXNYS AMBER Alert WebsiteXNational Center for Missing and ExploitedChildren (NCMEC) WebsiteXXXVariable Message Signs: Thruway (133),Other Highways (345)XXXNY-ALERT Public Subscriber List (55,000)XXXNYS Thruway Toll Barrier Printers (59)XXXNYS Thruway Service Area Televisions (27)XXXMedia Outlets - Radio/Television (659)XXXGreyhound/Trailways/Other Bus Terminals(108)XXXXXAMTRAK Stations (13)XXXXXAirports/Transportation SafetyAdministration (40)XXXXXNYS/County Probation Agencies (59)XXXXXHospitals (625)XXXXXPolice Agencies: Local, State and Federal(1,328)XXXXXCanadian Law Enforcement AuthoritiesXXXXXNYS/NYC Department of Health/SchoolRecords FlaggedXXXLicense Plate Readers LPRs (327)XXNYS AMBER Alert Partner AgenciesXXNYS Lottery Terminal Message Boards instores (16,000)XNYC Taxis (18,000) and Limousines(12,000): For activations in the New YorkCity Metropolitan Area only.XMethod of DistributionXXXX9

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual ReportMissing Persons ClearinghouseExecutive Summary and Data10

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual ReportMissing Children Executive SummaryNote: “Children” is defined as less than 18 years of age for the purposes of this report. In 2013, the Register, which is the statewide electronic central registry maintained by theClearinghouse and compatible with the federal National Crime Information Center (NCIC)register for missing persons, received 20,124 reports of children missing from New York State.This represented a 7.1 percent decrease from the 21,656 reports in 2012. Most of the decline inreported cases was from counties outside of New York City (-10.6%). A total of 20,278 caseswere closed in 2013, resulting in fewer cases active at the end of the year, when compared to2012 (2,680 in 2013 vs. 2,804 the year before). A majority of missing children cases – 95 percent – were reported as suspected runaways.Abduction cases accounted for one percent of the total reports, with abductions committed byfamily members comprising the most frequent form of abduction. In 2013, there was onereport of a child abducted by a stranger; that incident occurred in Schenectady County. Note:The number of stranger abductions reported to the Register may be an undercount. Typically,cases are not categorized as stranger abductions unless someone actually witnessed the childbeing abducted. Cases initially categorized as “circumstances unknown” have sometimes laterbeen found to involve stranger abductions but that information is rarely updated on theRegister. Every county in New York State, except Hamilton, reported at least one missing child duringthe year. Forty-two counties and New York City reported decreases in the number of newcases as compared to 2012, while 16 counties reported the same or a higher number of cases.Reports of missing children were concentrated in the state’s largest urban areas. ExcludingNew York City counties (which are not reported separately to the Register), WestchesterCounty reported the highest volume of cases with 1,814, followed by Monroe County with1,521, Erie County with 1,079, Suffolk County with 1,072 and Albany County with 959. Schenectady and Albany had the highest rates of case reporting in the state, 19.5 and 16.4 per1,000 children respectively. These counties were found to have unusually large numbers ofrepeat cases involving children who ran away from group homes or other facilities. Thestatewide rate of reporting was 4.7 missing children cases per 1,000 children in 2013. Ninety-four percent of the children reported missing were age 13 or older, 60 percent werefemale, and 55 percent were non-white. The single largest group of missing children casesinvolved white females who were 13 and older (23 percent of cases reported). Approximately 26 percent of the 20,278 cases closed during 2013 were resolved by the childvoluntarily returning home. Law enforcement efforts were involved in the return of 19 percentof the cases, and two children who had been reported missing in Monroe and Oneida countieswere found deceased. The median number of days between the reporting and cancellation of acase on the Register was six days, the same as reported in 2012. New York City does not reportthe circumstances of recovery.11

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual ReportVulnerable Adults Executive SummaryNew York State operates a Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert program, similar to the statewide AMBERand Missing Children and Missing College Student Alert programs to assist local law enforcementofficials in notifying communities when a vulnerable adult, who is at a credible risk of harm, goesmissing. A vulnerable adult is defined as an individual who has a cognitive impairment, mentaldisability or brain disorder and whose disappearance has been determined by law enforcement to posea credible threat of harm to such missing individual.In addition to creating the alert program, New York State also began tracking the number of missingvulnerable adults. Not every missing vulnerable adult case results in an alert activation; it must bedetermined that the individual is at credible risk of harm for an activation to occur. There were 7,647 reports of missing adults in New York State during 2013. Approximately 10percent of those (748) involved missing vulnerable adults. This represented an increase of 49percent from the 502 reported in 2012. The largest volume of cases, 82, was reported duringOctober and the fewest, 32, was reported in February. Most of the cases were reported in theupstate counties; New York City reported only 116 cases. Nassau County had the most caseswith 91, followed by Westchester County with 88, Onondaga County with 36, and MonroeCounty with 34. The average age of a reported missing vulnerable adult was 50 years old; 46 among femalesand 52 among males. The youngest person reported missing was 18 years old and the oldestwas 95. Approximately two-thirds of the cases involved males and 65 percent were white. The median number of days between the case report and closure was one day. Of the 748 casesreported, all but 63 were closed by the end of the year.12

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual ReportAlert ActivationsMissing Child/Missing VulnerableCollege Student AlertAdult 01073420117524201247362013TOTAL464861Note: The Missing Vulnerable Adult Alert Program began on 10/23/2011.YearAMBER Alert13

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual ReportAMBER Alert, Missing Child Alert, Missing College Student Alert andMissing Vulnerable Adult Alert Activation Case DetailsDuring 2013, four AMBER Alerts, seven Missing Child Alerts, and 36 Missing Vulnerable AdultAlerts were issued. There were no Missing College Student Alerts during 2013.AMBER Alerts On Feb. 8, 2013, the Southampton Police Department contacted the New York State Policeand requested an AMBER Alert for a 5-year-old boy with medical disabilities and his 1-yearold sister. They were taken in violation of a court order by their non-custodial parents. Bothparents had substance abuse issues and the father had a history of weapons possession. Thealert was activated in Alert Region 12, which covers Nassau and Suffolk counties. The alertwas cancelled two hours later when the parents and children were safely located in a localhotel in Suffolk County after their vehicle was spotted by a police patrol unit. On July 16, 2013, the New York City Police Department contacted the New York State Policeand requested an AMBER Alert for a 7-month-old boy whose non-custodial mother hadabducted him from a New York City Administration for Children Services supervised visit. Thechild had been removed from his mother’s custody due to mental health issues and incidents ofviolence. The alert was activated in Alert Region 11, which covers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, NewYork, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland and Westchester counties. The followingday, police received a tip from a man in Texas who was a relative of the mother. He received aphone call from her the night of the abduction asking if she could visit him in Texas. Hebecame suspicious and learned that she was the subject of an AMBER Alert. He called policewith the information and helped police apprehend the mother after safely recovering the childin Queens 14 hours after the alert activation. On Aug. 15, 2013, the Pennsylvania State Police contacted the New York State Police andrequested an AMBER Alert in New York State for the Butler Police Department inPennsylvania. A 10-year-old girl was abducted from her residence by a 39-year-old man whowas a former acquaintance of the child’s mother, but a stranger to the child. It was believedthat the suspect was taking the victim to New York State. Cell phone tracking was initiatedand helped determine the suspect’s route through New York. An AMBER Alert was activatedin Alert Region 4, which covers Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson,Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, Oswego, Seneca, Tompkins and Waynecounties; Alert Region 5, which covers Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego,Tioga and Tompkins counties; and Alert Region 6, which covers Franklin, Hamilton,Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. The alert was cancelled90 minutes later, when the suspect and the child’s mother were apprehended by theGouverneur Police Department after cell phone tracking lead police to a local gas station.The girl was safely recovered.14

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual Report On Sept. 27, 2013, the New York State Police at Cortlandt requested an AMBER Alert for a5-year-boy in the custody of his mother, who was distraught and suicidal. The AMBER Alertwas activated in Alert Region 10, which covers Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange,Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties and Alert Region 11, whichcovers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland andWestchester counties. A police investigation led to the mother being contacted by cell phoneby an investigator. The alert was cancelled 90 minutes later when the mother agreed to meetwith the investigator. She was taken into custody by patrol officers and the boy was safelyrecovered.Missing Child Alerts On April 18, 2013, the New York City Police Department’s 81st Precinct Detective Squadcontacted the New York State Police and requested an AMBER Alert for a 2-year-old boy whowas forcibly abducted by his non-custodial father, who had violent tendencies. The incidentwas determined to not meet the requirements for an AMBER Alert, so the Clearinghouseoffered to activate a Missing Child Alert. The alert was activated in Alert Region 11, whichcovers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland andWestchester counties. The alert was cancelled four days later when it was learned that the childwas safely located and in the custody of South Carolina Child Services. On June 12, 2013, the Clearinghouse activated a Missing Child Alert for a 9-month-old boywho was reported missing by his father. On that date, the child’s father reported to the UticaPolice Department that the child went missing on the night of May 29, 2013. The alert wasactivated in Alert Region 7, which covers Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison,Montgomery, Oneida and Otsego counties. On June 15, 2013, the alert expired due to the 72hour time limit and was converted to a standard missing child case. On Sept. 6, 2013, NewYork State Police divers discovered the body of a child in the Mohawk River after receivinginformation during the course of the investigation. On Sept. 12, three months after the alertwas activated, Utica police requested that the case be removed from the DCJS website. Theybelieved that the body was that of the missing boy and were awaiting positive confirmationfrom the medical examiner. On Sept. 22, Utica police confirmed that the remains found in theMohawk River were those of the missing boy. On July 9, 2013, the New York City Police Department’s 75th Precinct Detective Squadrequested a Missing Child Alert for a 12-year-old boy who went missing on July 4, when hefailed to return home after walking to a neighborhood store. Witnesses told police that the boywas acting nervous and there was a suspicious male near him. The alert was activated in AlertRegion 11, which covers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens,Richmond, Rockland and Westchester counties. The alert was cancelled the next day after theinvestigation prompted authorities to request the North Carolina Highway Patrol to intercept abus traveling to Florida. The boy was safely located on the bus as he was attempting to travel tohis non-custodial mother’s home in Florida.15

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse2013 Annual Report On Oct. 7, 2013, the New York City Police Department’s 108th Precinct Detective Squadrequested a Missing Child Alert for a 14-year-old boy with autism who was non-verbal. Thechild had run out of a school in Queens and had not been seen since Oct. 4. The alert wasactivated in Alert Region 11, which covers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam,Queens, Richmond, Rockland and Westchester counties. On Oct. 11, the alert expired due tothe 72-hour time limit and was converted to a standard missing children case. On Jan. 16,2014, the New York City Police Department discovered remains in College Point, Queens andfive days later, the New York City Police Department confirmed that the remains were that ofthe missing boy. The cause of death is undetermined. On Oct. 19, 2013, the Suffolk County Police Department’s 5th Precinct Detective Squadrequested a Missing Child Alert for a 16-year-old boy with autism who was last seen thatafternoon at the bus terminal in Albany. He had a ticket for a bus from Albany to New YorkCity but never arrived at the destination. The alert was activated in Alert Region 9, whichcovers Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga,Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties; Alert Region 10, which coversColumbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchestercounties; Alert Region 11, which covers Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam,Queens, Richmond, Rockland and Westchester counties; and Alert Region 12, which coversNassau and Suffolk counties. The alert was cancelled 24 hours later when the boy was locatedsafely at his residence after returning home on his own. On Oct. 30, 2013, the Yonkers Police Department requested a Missing Child Alert for a 14year-old boy with autism. After an argument at home, he left on his bicycle and his familywas unable to locate him. The alert was activated in Alert Region 11, which covers the Bronx,Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland and Westchestercounties. The alert was cancelled 3 ½ hours later when the boy was located safely at a shelterin lower Manhattan. On Dec. 4, 2013, the New York City Police Department requested a Missing Child Alert for a5-year-old girl who was the victim of a non-custodial family abduction. The evening before,the child left her home with her uncle to listen to music. A babysitter and another siblingremained in the apartment. Due to her age and the criminal history of her uncle, the New YorkCity Police Department considered her an endangered child upon receiving the missing childreport. The alert was activated in Alert Region 11, which covers the Bronx, Kings, Nassau,New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland and Westchester counties. Thealert was cancelled eight hours later when the child was located safely in the neighborhoodwhere she lived.Missing Vulnerable Adult Alerts On Jan. 10, 2013, the Suffolk County Police Department requested a Missing VulnerableAdult Alert for a 74-year-old woman with dementia who was last seen in Commack and wasbelieved to be driving her vehicle. The alert was activated in Alert Region 11, which covers16

New York State Missing Persons Clearinghous

not-for-profit organizations and the U.S. Department of State. , Clearinghouse staff trained more than 1,300 police officers throughout New York State on missing person investigations and searches, which included instruction on the protocols for activation of an AMBER Alert, Missing Child Alert, Missing College Student