Investigating Missing Children Cases

Donald F. Sprague is a 24-year veteran of law enforcement. He retired in June 1996 as a lieutenant from the Saginaw, Michigan Police Department. He has been a Michigan state certified police instructor in many disciplines including police patrol techniques, police emergency vehicle operation, and domestic violence. He served on the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) task force that produced the Law Enforcement Driver Training Reference Guide 2000 and the Michigan State Domestic Violence task force that produced Domestic Violence Police Response. A Project ALERT member for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), he volunteers his time reviewing cold cases of missing children and has lectured for NCMEC on child safety. He and his wife, Mary, formed the Servants & Watchmen Ministry, to educate places of worship on church security, and Michigan Child Safety Advocates, to educate parents and children on child safety and missing and exploited children.

Introduction and Background. The Problem. The Victim and the Offender. Federal and State Statutes: Runaway and Missing Children. Missing Children Abduction Motives, Lures, and Tactics. Response and Initial Interview. Missing Children Crime Scenes and Neighborhood Canvass. Missing Children Endangerment Risk Assessment (ERA). Getting the Information Out. Incident Command Center and Civilian Volunteers. Long-Term and Cold Cases Reunification. False Police Reports. Runaways and Thrownaways. Missing Benign Episode (MBE).Missing Involuntary, Lost, or Injured (MILI). Family Child Abduction (FCA). International Family Child Abduction (IFCA). Nonfamily Child Abduction (NFCA). Stereotypical Nonfamily Child Abduction (SNFCA). Infant Abduction (IA). Internet Child Abduction (ICA). Human Sex Trafficking. Missing Children Resources. Glossary. Appendices.