SPRINGFIELD, IL - A new piece of legislation that will change the way police handle missing persons cases is on its way to Governor JB Pritzker's desk for final approval.
The bill, which was championed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart, creates new guidance for missing persons investigations by requiring law enforcement in the state of Illinois to take a report immediately when notified of a missing person and enter it into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS), a press release from the Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) stated.
SB 24 was sponsored by Sen. Michael Hastings in the Senate and Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin in the House. The bill also sets timelines for follow-up actions if the missing person is not located quickly. If a person is missing for more than 60 days, investigators will be required to collect any existing fingerprint records, dental records, and photographs and enter that information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a federal database.
NamUs is not a criminal database and some case information on NamUs is searchable by the public. Mandatory entry of missing person reports into NamUs allows family members to search for their missing loved ones as well.
The legislation also requires that missing persons cases remain active and in databases until the person is found, CBS News reported. Dart's "Missing Persons Project," a team of sheriff's investigators who work to solve long-term missing women cases, was the inspiration for the bill. That unit was launched in 2021 and uses all available investigative and forensic methods, including NamUs.
"When a loved one goes missing, time is of the essence. This bill provides a guide for law enforcement on how to respond and follow up on missing persons investigations and provide answers to family members regarding their loved one's whereabouts," Dart said. "I commend the Illinois General Assembly for passing the legislation and urge Governor JB Pritzker to sign this bill into law."
