CRITICAL MISSING RESPONSE TEAM

C.M.R.T.

 

The Critical Missing Response Team was created to ensure that the department's response to a missing child was complete. The Critical Missing Response Team ensures that all available resources are utilized to enhance the recovery of the child. When a child is missing under suspicious circumstances or the child is very young the following procedure will be utilized:

When Communications receives the call:

  • A primary unit is dispatched
  • A K-9 is dispatched
  • A patrol supervisor is notified
  • Youth Division is immediately notified of the missing child and kept advised of the situation

Upon arrival at the scene the first responder will determine the description of the child and re-broadcast it to all units. The child's house and surrounding areas will be thoroughly searched. The houses of the child's friends will be checked. Once this is completed the patrol supervisor will determine if youth division will be called out.

If Youth Division is called out the following procedures will be used:

  • The On Duty or On Call youth officer will contact the Lieutenant and/or Sergeant and advise them we have been called out on a missing child
  • The On Duty or On Call Youth Officer will then contact the patrol supervisor and be brought up to date
  • Once arriving at the scene the Youth Officer will determine the location of the command post. He will notify headquarters of the location of the Command Post and the fact that the Command Post is in operation.
  • Headquarters will designate one Dispatcher that all information and contact will go through. Command post will be notified of the terminal he/she is located at and the extension.
  • All information regarding this incident will be logged on the Computer Aided Dispatch System.
  • The Youth Officer setting up the command post will have headquarters notify the Deputy Chief over Youth Division of the situation
  • Headquarters will notify the following Agencies to respond to the command post:
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Texas Department of Public Safety Special Crimes
  • Texas Rangers
  • Taylor County Sheriff's Department

The following Divisions within the Abilene Police Department will be contacted and requested to respond to the command post:

  • All K-9 units
  • All bike patrol units
  • Crimes against Persons (one detective)
  • Criminal Intelligence Officer (sexual offender registration)
  • Crime Stoppers Coordinator
  • All Youth Officers
  • Crisis Intervention Officer
  • Public Information Officer

The Command Post Commander will assign one officer and the Crisis Intervention Officer to the house with the parents of the missing child. The Command Post Commander will advise headquarters to enter the child into the National Crime Information Center as Involuntary Missing Child and issue a state wide broadcast.

The Command Post Commander will then assign a search coordinator. The search coordinator's responsibility is to set up the search areas. All search areas will be searched as many times as necessary. The search coordinator will be responsible for identifying all individuals in the search areas, including volunteers.

The Command Post Commander will advise headquarters to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE LOST and advise them of this Missing Child.

A picture will be obtained from the parents and given to the Crime Stoppers Coordinator. The Crime Stoppers Coordinator will go to his office, scan the photo into the computer and load it onto the Crime Stoppers web page. He will then create color flyers from this picture. He will contact all news organizations and let them know of the missing child and the photo on the web page. For news agencies that do not have access to the Internet he has the capability to fax them a copy of the flyer. He will return to the Command Post with the Flyers. The Crime Stoppers Coordinator will then monitor all tips coming in via Crime Stoppers and forward this information to the Command Post. The Crime Stoppers Coordinator will then enter the missing child in the Beyondmissing.com web site and activate the State wide AMBER ALERT SYSTEM.

The Public information Officer will develop a news release and give a flyer to all news agencies at the scene. The Command Post Commander will approve the news release. The Public Information Officer will advise the news media of a reward offered up to $1,000 to be paid by Crime Stoppers on the safe return of the child and/or the arrest and indictment of the offender. This information will be available under http://www.abilenepolice.com/crimestop/mcindex.htm . No officer or supervisor will release any information to the news media- the Public Information Officer will release all information. 

The Crisis Intervention Officer will be the liaison between the Command Post and the parents. The Crisis Intervention Officer will be responsible for listening and making notes of any special details and notifying the Command Post of any information gained. The Crisis Intervention Officer will be responsible for making parents aware of available resources once the Command Post is relocated to the Law Enforcement Center.

The Command Post Commander will obtain from the Criminal Intelligence Officer the Sexual Offender Registration List and assign two officers to begin making contact with those on the list.

The Command Post Commander is responsible for working with all other agencies that were called to the scene and utilizing their resources. Since every abduction is different the Command Post Commander will be responsible for adapting to all situations and utilizing all available resources in each given situation.

The Search will continue until all avenues are thoroughly exhausted. At that point the Command Post will be relocated to the Law Enforcement Center. One detective will be assigned as the primary investigator and the case will be turned over to him/her.

The Missing Persons/Missing Child photos can be viewed on the Abilene Crime Stoppers Web Page, www.abilenecrimestoppers.com For further information about Child Abductions contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at

1-800-THE LOST or visit their Web Page at www.missingkids.com.

 

THE GOAL OF THE CRITICAL MISSING RESPONSE TEAM IS THE RECOVERY OF THE CHILD.