Tampa Bay family’s desperate search for their runaway daughter
LARGO, Fla (WFLA) — For the past four years, Jeff and Missy Peterson’s life has been all about searching for their daughter.
“She was good at school and did fine and all of the sudden she met someone who dropped out of school and all of the sudden her attitude totally changed,” said Jeff.
Their daughter Jessie, who is now 18, began running away when she was just 14 years old. The Petersons tell News Channel 8 that it started when she didn’t come home from school one day. And they were surprised when they called police and found out what little could be done.
“I probably called dispatch 100 times to see if they were out searching for her,” said Missy Peterson.
While law enforcement would take a report, it was the Petersons who would forego sleep to hit the streets in search of their daughter, who they predict ran away about 100 times over the past four years.
“Sometimes I would be out in the daytime. I would come back home and get something to eat and go back out there at midnight. I’d be out there until morning sometimes,” said Jeff who even obtained his weapons permit so that he could protect himself as he searched for Jessie.
“Unfortunately because running away is not a crime, it’s not a law in the state of Florida there’s really nothing that police officers can do,” added Missy.
The Petersons story is more common than you think. It’s predicted that anywhere from 1.6 to 2.8 million children run away each year. In less than a dozen states, running away is against the law. Florida is not one of those states.
“I think at the age of 14 or 15, if it was a law and she was sent to a commitment program or sent to a juvenile detention center at a young age, it might’ve scared her to not ever do that again,” said Peterson.
Instead parents are left without many resources.
What to do if your child runs away from home
The photos are a common sight on Facebook feeds, pictures of runaways that have been shared by loved ones and strangers in a desperate attempt to find missing children and return them home.
If your child were to run away, your first thought might be to post about him or her on Facebook. But, do you know what experts say you should do if your child runs away from home?
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recommends that parents first conduct a preliminary search for their child. Then, if your child is missing, parents should call their local law enforcement agency.
Parents should provide police with a recent photo of your child along with your child’s fingerprint card, dental and medical records, according to the Florida Missing Endangered Persons Clearinghouse.
Parents should know that the law requires law enforcement agencies to respond in a certain way when it comes to missing children. Law enforcement agencies can not make you wait to file a report. Law enforcement agencies are prohibited by federal law (42 U.S.C., 5780) from establishing or maintaining a waiting period before accepting a missing child report.
Law enforcement agencies must also enter the missing child’s information into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database and the state database within two hours of receiving a missing child report.
After you report your child missing to local law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). The NCMEC is a non-profit organization created in 1984 that works with law enforcement and families on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children.
When you contact the NCMEC, you will need to provide detailed biographical information about your child and the circumstances surrounding the runaway event. The NCMEC will help coordinate the creation of posters and will help coordinate the distribution of posters with the goal of generating leads about the missing child.
Florida residents should also contact the Florida Missing Endangered Persons Clearinghouse to report their missing child. You may be tempted to call the media to get the word out. Feel free to do so, but know that many news organizations only report missing children after receiving notification from a law enforcement agency.
The FDLE says it is important to remember that when a child runs away, he or she is not committing a crime, and filing a missing persons report will not cause your child to be in trouble with the law.
The FDLE offers these additional suggestions for parents
Call your child’s friends, school, relatives or anyone else who might have information about your child’s whereabouts.
Check places your child likes to spend time, including shopping malls, parks, athletic fields, clubs and neighborhoods.
Pass out flyers that have your child’s photo and ask local stores, hospitals, shopping malls and truck stops to place the flyer in their window. Share the flyer with your friends on Facebook.
The Florida Missing Endangered Persons Clearinghouse website also offers the following resources for parents
Child Identification Program (ChLP)- a blood sampling program in which parents or guardians submit their child’s blood samples that would be available during an emergency. If your child disappeared, their DNA would be available to law enforcement which could assist authorities in the case of a kidnapping, parental abduction, or the disappearance of a child. Learn more
Safety Tips for Children including: Things to Teach Children and The “no” List
The FDLE offers the following publications to help keep kids safe
Child Safety Guide
Family Abduction Guide
MEPIC Services Guide
Parent Reunification
Runaway Guide
Safe Passage Safety Guide
Safe Steps
Help empower other parents by sharing these important resources with them