A police reference manual for cases of child abduction and runaway youth

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance to police on how to deal with specific types of missing children and youth cases, how to manage community expectations, how to develop specific strategies on missing children and youth as part of comprehensive community policing plans, and to provide useful and relevant references to materials and information sources. The manual is organized according to the tasks that have to be performed in relation to the general categories of missing children: non-parental abductions, parental abductions, and children who run away or are thrown away from home. It begins with information on classification of cases and a checklist to follow during the initial investigation. The subsequent chapters cover the above three types of missing children cases, and include case profiles, information on relevant laws and their application, and guidance on typical investigative tasks applicable to those types of cases. The manual concludes with a chapter on crime prevention. Appendices include a directory of useful contacts, excerpts from relevant legislation, and tables listing legislation regarding child abduction, young offenders, and child welfare.