Missing Persons & Amber Alert
The Missing Persons Unit thoroughly investigates every reported missing person and runway juvenile case to locate that person. Our team consisting of one sergeant and two detectives respond to approximately 350 missing person/runaway cases each month. We work with agencies and organizations such as the California Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to extend our reach.
To Report A Missing Person
You do not have to wait 24 hours to make a report. There is no minimum amount of time you must wait to report someone missing.
To report a missing person, contact:
Fresno Police Department Communications Center
(559) 621-7000 24-hours per day
Help Us To Help You
- If you have important, time sensitive information (such as the location of a runaway juvenile at that moment) on a missing person case, DO NOT CALL THE MISSING PERSONS UNIT. Instead, first call the Communications Center at (559) 621-7000, or 911 in a life threatening emergency, and an officer will be dispatched to assist you. The Missing Persons Unit is the secondary source to call, at (559) 621-2455. Give the information to, or leave a message for an investigator.
- Keep the Missing Persons Unit informed of the status and any leads in your case. If the missing person has returned or is no longer missing, please advise us as quickly as possible.
Amber Alert
AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) Alert is a tool used by law enforcement to help find children under the most serious, life threatening conditions. There are specific conditions under which an AMBER Alert can be issued. Those conditions include:
- A confirmed non-family abduction has occurred; unless the victim of a parental abduction faces threat of imminent great bodily harm or death.
- The victim is under the age of 18, or of a proven mental or physical disability.
- There is reason to believe the victim is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
- There is information that if disseminated to the general public, could assist in the safe recovery of the victim.
The reason for these strict conditions is a very simple one. The AMBER Alert is a cooperative effort between law enforcement and the media. The media voluntarily interrupts, sometimes very expensive, scheduled broadcasting to announce that a child has been abducted, and that law enforcement needs the public’s eyes and ears. Because private broadcasters cannot be compelled to cooperate with law enforcement, it is imperative that their willingness to help by interrupting their scheduled programming not be used in cases other than the most serious emergencies.