Time for a cop question

[Alpo]

This is based on television shows. Almost all of my knowledge about police and law and lawyers and courts and all that crap comes from television shows. So it's most likely wrong.

 

Just about every TV show where somebody is missing, they say that you have to wait 24 hours before you report it. Couple of shows they've said you had to wait 48 hours before you report it.

 

Now I understand that does not apply to children. Amber alert. Soon as you notice the kid's gone, tell the cops.

 

But I'm talking adults.

 

So is there a required amount of time you're supposed to wait?

 

There was a Castle episode one time. Girl went missing 5 years ago. Her frozen body turns up. Turns out that her husband killed her and then, not knowing what to do with the body, had her in a chest freezer in a you-lock-it.

 

But five years ago he just reported her missing. And they kept harping on HE WAITED AN ENTIRE DAY BEFORE REPORTING HER MISSING.

 

Now as I said, based on my great legal experience from watching other cop shows you're supposed to wait an entire day. Aren't you? Or are you?

[Kid Sopris, SASS Regulator]

No. Short answer. 
Extenuating circumstances can alter anytime level. Every jurisdiction has their own time limit requirements. Endangered individuals or minors usually get top billing. But depending on a child’s age, immediate is the rule of thumb. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

We got a Nixle alert last night for an at-risk adult male that had only been missing for an hour. Unfortunately, he is still missing.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

It all just depends on the circumstances.  

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

And for TV, it’s what moves the story along.

[WOLFY]

If someone’s missing but you have zero suspicion there’s foul play, you can file but most larger departments won’t act on the report in the first 24 hours.

[Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022]

As several have said, depends. Local jurisdictions have their policies. Circumstances of the missing dictate the issue as well. For example - a lot of blood and a finger on the floor of the living room will get something going vs. no one has seen someone for a couple days and the car and fishing poles are gone.

[Eyesa Horg]

The finger on the floor always helps with the urgency . 

[Finagler 6853 Life]

We get the occasional silver alert.  Some old fart gets in a car and drives off or walks away from their facility. Get them on our phone and see them on electronic boards along the highway.   The Nixle thing.   Probably be me someday. 

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

I can only speak for Colorado and Iowa, where I have been a cop (was a reserve cop in Iowa when I was a college student and a full-time cop in Colorado after I left active duty).  Neither place has ANY waiting period to report a missing person.