You don’t have to wait 24 hours before you report someone missing. As soon as you can’t find the person and you are worried for their safety and welfare, you can report them missing to the police. It’s important that you share all of your concerns with police.

How long should someone be missing before you call the police?

You do not have to wait 24 hours to report someone as missing. If you have concerns for someone’s safety and welfare, and their whereabouts is unknown, you can file a missing person’s report at your local police station.

How many hours should you wait to report a missing person?

If someone close to you is missing, you should report it to the police as soon as you know they are missing. You do not need to wait for 24 hours.

How do police track missing persons?

Searching the area where the person was last seen (if different to their home address). Checks with local hospitals. Checks with mobile phone providers, financial institutions, and social media accounts. Checks on mobile phone(s) and devices used by the missing person, including internet search history.

What happens when a person is reported missing?

After receiving a missing person report, police will attempt to find the person in question, which may include reaching out to the person who placed the initial call as well as friends and family. They may also check local hospitals and jails.

Can the police track your phone if your missing?

Yes, the police can track a stolen phone using either your phone number or the phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). You can find out where it was turned off last, which shows where the phone was when it last communicated with the network, but this may or may not be where the phone is still.

Can police track your phone if location is off?

The phone does not have to be actively engaged in a call to be connected to cells, but it must be turned on; phones in the “off” position or those with no batteries do not register with the cellular carrier’s network and cannot be tracked.

Can the police track your phone if you go missing?

In short, police cannot track cell phone location data without a warrant. Read on for more about the Supreme Court’s decision, and contact an experienced California criminal defense attorney with any questions.

Where do most missing persons go?

The highest rate of missing persons by far is in sparsely populated Alaska, with 41.8 missing people per 100,000 of the population—five times California’s rate and three-and-a-half times the rate of second-ranked Arizona (13.0 missing persons per 100,000).