What To Do if You Think Your Child Goes Missing
What to do if you think your child is missing Updated: Feb 24, 2006 5:01pm Imagine coming home from work tonight and discovering your young child is missing. That’s happened to local parents at least twice in the past week, forcing police to launch big searchers. But in both cases, the kids weren’t in any danger. So police are offering some advice for parents. “He’s my baby I just want him home.” Thursday afternoon the Spreigel family held onto each other awaiting word of their missing 7 year old son Luke. Luke was never in danger, he had been playing at a friends house. “I’m just relieved… I’m not mad… I’m just glad he’s okay, he’s home,” said Julie Spriegel, Lukes mother. While there is a happy ending to this story police say if your child is missing the first thing you should do is call family, friends and neighbors… not police. “Schools, boy scouts or dance classes… Anything that is a normal part of the child’s life,” said Harker Heights Police Chief, Mike Gentry. Gentry says if they don’t turn up, then you should call 911. He says the sooner the authorities are involved the more likely the child will be returned home safely. Gentry also says officers treat each case differently, but a child’s age is very important on determining how police will handle it. “Younger children can be easily distracted… They can get lost, be confused, can be deceived by people easier than an older child,” explained Gentry. He also says the child’s family history also plays a factor. “The family history… The educational history… Does the child do this sort of thing,” he explained. To help in the investigation Gentry says always have the child’s picture available… along with a description of the last thing they were wearing, and what they had with them. Police also encourages parents to bring their children down to the police department to have their fingerprints taken. http://www.kcentv.com/news/c-article.php?cid=1&nid=9120