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What A Law Enforcement Officer Should Do to Initiate an Endangered Person Advisory

I. PURPOSE

The Endangered Person Advisory is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement and local broadcasters to rapidly disseminate information about a missing and endangered person to law enforcement agencies, broadcasters and the public.

II. CRITERIA

The Endangered Person Advisory is initiated solely by Utah law enforcement agencies using the following criteria:

  1. Do the circumstances fail to meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert? (If they do meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert, immediately follow the protocol to issue an AMBER Alert)
  2. Is the person missing under unexplained, involuntary or suspicious circumstances?
  3. Is the person believed to be in danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, environment or weather conditions, in the company of a potentially dangerous person or some other factor that may put the person in peril?
  4. Is there information that could assist the public in the safe recovery of the missing person?

III. PROCEDURE FOR AGENCIES TO INITIATE AN ENDANGERED PERSON ADVISORY

  • If all criteria exist, prepare the "Endangered Person Advisory" by using the Attempt To Locate (ATL) code on the Utah Criminal Justice Information System (UCJIS). Write "Endangered Person Advisory" in the title of the entry.  A Utah Endangered Person Advisory Law Enforcement Form is available to help you gather information.
  • Contact the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) at (801) 965-4446 to verify it received the advisory via UCJIS.
  • Enter the information with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) using the proper message key: Missing (MNP), Endangered (EME), Involuntary (EMI).
  • Make sure dispatchers are prepared to handle phone calls. Consider allocating additional resources from other law enforcement agencies.
  • Obtain a photograph of the missing person and/or suspect as soon as possible and e-mail it to endangered@UTAH.GOV
  • A Public Information Officer (PIO) should be appointed to handle the press. Once the advisory has been activated, media coverage may be overwhelming, especially for a small department. The PIO should be constantly updated to utilize the media as much as possible and receive the maximum exposure for the case.

The Endangered Person Advisory does not preclude any in-house procedures, policies or practices used by each law enforcement agency.

IV. THE FOLLOWING WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE ADVISORY IS ACTIVATED

  • All Utah law enforcement agencies are notified through the Utah Criminal Justice Information System (UCJIS).
  • Broadcasters and media are notified by e-mail.
  • Thousands of flyers with photos and details will go to businesses throughout Utah and surrounding states.
  • Ports of Entry inform all of their officers.
  • The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is contacted if the person is under the age of 18.

V. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • BCI can contact other states if the advisory needs to be sent outside of Utah. Call BCI at (801)965-4446. BCI is also available to provide training or training materials.
  • The Utah Public Information Officer Association can provide a PIO to help your agency. The association can be reached at (801)541-8145 or (801)554-5422.
  • A Child Is Missing will contact residents and businesses in the area where the person was last seen by using an automated telephone system. The service is free and can be used for a missing child, elderly or disabled person. Call the toll-free number (888) 875-ACIM (888-875-2246).
  • Team Adam provides experienced child abduction investigators, technical assistance and equipment for free to agencies during investigations involving missing, abducted or exploited children. Call toll-free (800)THE-LOST (800-843-5678).
  • Project Alert provides retired federal, state and local law enforcement officers who volunteer their time and expertise as unpaid consultants during investigations of missing, abducted or exploited children. All travel arrangements and costs are paid for by NCMEC. Call toll-free (800)THE-LOST (800-843-5678)
  • Laura Recovery Center will help organize community ground searches. The non-profit organization offers its services for free. Call toll-free (866)898-5723.

VI. CANCELING THE ENDANGERED PERSON ADVISORY

The initiating agency must cancel the Endangered Person advisory using the UCJIS (ATL) message. The agency must also call BCI at (801)965-4446 to verify that the Endangered Person Advisory cancellation notice has been received via UCJIS.