BILL ANALYSIS SENATE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY Senator Mark Leno, Chair A 2009-2010 Regular Session B 3 3 AB 33 (Nava and Cook) As Amended June 22, 2010 Hearing date: June 29, 2010 Penal Code SM:dl CHILD ABDUCTIONS HISTORY Source: More Kids Prior Legislation:SB 1128 (Alquist) - Ch. 337, Stats. 2006 SBx1 12 (Thompson) - Ch. 6, Stats. 1994 SB 2282 (Presley) - Ch. 1456, Stats. 1988 Support: Crime Victims United of California Opposition:None known Assembly Floor Vote: Not relevant KEY ISSUES SHOULD THE LEGISLATURE SUGGEST THAT EACH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ADOPT, PROMULGATE, AND OFFER TRAINING REGARDING MISSING CHILDREN AND THE REPORTING OF MISSING CHILDREN, AS SPECIFIED? SHOULD THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) BE REQUIRED TO MAKE ACCESSIBLE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AS SPECIFIED, THE PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING COMMISSION'S (POST) "GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS," RELATING TO THE (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageB INVESTIGATION OF MISSING PERSONS? (CONTINUED) SHOULD LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES BE REQUIRED, BY JANUARY 1, 2012, TO ADOPT A CHECKLIST DOCUMENT DIRECTING PEACE OFFICERS ON INVESTIGATION GUIDELINES AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE EARLY HOURS OF A MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATION, AS SPECIFIED? SHOULD LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES BE REQUIRED, BY JANUARY 1, 2012, TO ADOPT A POLICY, REGULATIONS, OR GUIDELINES ON MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS, AS SPECIFIED? SHOULD LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES BE REQUIRED, BY JANUARY 1, 2012, TO ADOPT AND UTILIZE DOJ'S MISSING PERSON REPORTING FORM, AT A MINIMUM FOR THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE PARENT OR FAMILY MEMBER REPORTING A MISSING PERSON? SHOULD THE POST COMMISSION BE REQUIRED TO, AS NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE, MODIFY ITS MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS GUIDELINES AND CURRICULUM WITH CONTEMPORARY INFORMATION, AS SPECIFIED? SHOULD THE VIOLENT CRIME INFORMATION CENTER BE REQUIRED TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHIN TWO HOURS OF A REPORTED STRANGER ABDUCTION OF A CHILD, A LIST OF REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS BASED ON MODUS OPERANDI OR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, AS SPECIFIED? PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to (1) state that it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage law enforcement agencies to obtain and utilize the list, as specified, of registered sex offenders from the Violent Crime Information Center in the event of a reported stranger abduction of a child; (2) state that the Legislature suggests that each law enforcement agency adopt, (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageC promulgate, and offer training regarding missing children and the reporting of missing children, as specified; (3) require that DOJ make accessible to law enforcement agencies, as specified, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission's (POST) "Guidelines for Handling Missing Persons Investigations," relating to the investigation of missing persons; (4) require that, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies adopt a checklist document directing peace officers on investigation guidelines and resources available to them in the early hours of a missing persons investigation, as specified; (5) require that by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies adopt a policy, regulations, or guidelines on missing persons investigations, as specified; (6) require that, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies utilize DOJ's missing person reporting form, at a minimum for the initial contact with the parent or family member reporting a missing person; (7) require that, as necessary and appropriate, the POST commission modify its missing persons investigations guidelines and curriculum with contemporary information, as specified; and (8) require that DOJ's Violent Crime Information Center make available, within two hours of a reported stranger abduction of a child, a list of persons required to register as sex offenders based upon the modus operandi, if available, or the specified geographical location from which the child was abducted. Current law requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain the Violent Crime Information Center to assist in the identification and the apprehension of persons responsible for specific violent crimes and for the disappearance and exploitation of persons, particularly children and dependent adults. The center shall establish and maintain programs which include, but are not limited to, all of the following: developing violent offender profiles; assisting local law enforcement agencies and county district attorneys by providing investigative information on persons responsible for specific violent crimes and missing person cases; providing physical description information and photographs, if available, of missing persons to county district attorneys, nonprofit missing persons organizations, and schools; and providing statistics on missing dependent adults and on missing children, including, as (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageD may be applicable, family abductions, non-family abductions, voluntary missing, and lost children or lost dependent adults. (Penal Code 14200.) Current law further requires the Attorney General to establish within the center and maintain "an online, automated computer system designed to effect an immediate law enforcement response to reports of missing persons," and requires the Attorney General to make information available to law enforcement agencies regarding active files maintained pursuant to these provisions, as specified. (Penal Code 14201.) Current law requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain within the center an investigative support unit and an automated violent crime method of operation system to facilitate the identification and apprehension of persons responsible for murder, kidnap, including parental abduction, false imprisonment, or sexual assault. This unit shall be responsible for identifying perpetrators of violent felonies collected from the center and analyzing and comparing data on missing persons in order to determine possible leads which could assist local law enforcement agencies. This unit shall only release information about active investigations by police and sheriffs' departments to local law enforcement agencies. The Attorney General shall make available to the investigative support unit files organized by category of offender or victim and shall seek information from other files as needed by the unit. This set of files may include, among others, the following: Missing or unidentified, deceased persons' dental files filed pursuant to this title, Section 27521 of the Government Code, or Section 102870 of the Health and Safety Code. Child abuse reports filed pursuant to Section 11169. Sex offender registration files maintained pursuant to Section 290. State summary criminal history information maintained pursuant to Section 11105. (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageE Information obtained pursuant to the parent locator service maintained pursuant to Section 11478.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Information furnished to the Department of Justice pursuant to Section 11107. Other Attorney General's office files as requested by the investigative support unit.(Penal Code 14202.) Current law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to implement a course or courses of instruction for the training of law enforcement officers and law enforcement dispatchers in the handling of missing person and runaway cases and to develop guidelines for law enforcement response to missing person and runaway cases. The course or courses of instruction and the guidelines shall include, but not be limited to: Timeliness and priority of response; Assisting persons who make missing person reports to contact the appropriate law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction of the residence address of the missing person or runaway and the appropriate law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the missing person or runaway was last seen; and Coordinating law enforcement agencies for the purpose of efficiently and effectively taking and investigating missing person reports. As used in this section, "law enforcement" includes any officers or employees of a local police or sheriff's office or of the California Highway Patrol. This course of training on investigation of missing person reports is required to be included within the course of basic training for law enforcement officers and law enforcement dispatchers.(Penal Code 13519.1.) Current law requires local law enforcement to "accept any report, including any telephonic report, of a missing person, including runaways, without delay and shall give priority to the (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageF handling of these reports over the handling of reports relating to crimes involving property. In cases where the person making a report of a missing person or runaway, contacts, including by telephone, the California Highway Patrol, the California Highway Patrol may take the report, and shall immediately advise the person making the report of the name and telephone number of the police or sheriff's department having jurisdiction of the residence address of the missing person and of the name and telephone number of the police or sheriff's department having jurisdiction of the place where the person was last seen. In cases of reports involving missing persons, including, but not limited to, runaways, the local police or sheriff's department shall immediately take the report and make an assessment of reasonable steps to be taken to locate the person. If the missing person is under 16 years of age, or there is evidence that the person is at risk, the department shall broadcast a "Be On the Look-Out" bulletin, without delay, within its jurisdiction." (Penal Code 14205(a).) Current law further provides that if "the person reported missing is under 16 years of age, or if there is evidence that the person is at risk, the local police, sheriff's department, or the California Highway Patrol shall submit the report to the Attorney General's office within four hours after accepting the report. After the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System online missing person registry becomes operational, the reports shall be submitted, within four hours after accepting the report, to the Attorney General's office through the use of the California Telecommunications System." (Penal Code 14205(b).) This bill would declare that it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage law enforcement agencies to obtain and utilize the list, created pursuant to Section 14202 of the Penal Code, of registered sex offenders from the Violent Crime Information Center in the event of a reported stranger abduction of a child. (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageG This bill states that the Legislature suggests that each law enforcement agency adopt, promulgate, and offer training that is consistent with state and federal law and with the agency's specific policy regarding missing children and the reporting of missing children. This bill requires that DOJ shall make accessible to law enforcement agencies, via a department bulletin and the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission's "Guidelines for Handling Missing Persons Investigations" or any subsequent similar guidelines created by the commission, relating to the investigation of missing persons. This bill requires that, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies shall adopt a checklist document directing peace officers on investigation guidelines and resources available to them in the early hours of an investigation. The POST commission's "Guidelines for Handling Missing Persons Investigations" should be used as a model policy or example in developing the checklist document. This bill requires, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies adopt a policy, regulations, or guidelines on missing persons investigations that are consistent with state and federal law. The POST commission's "Guidelines for Handling Missing Persons Investigations" should be used as a model policy or example in developing the policy, regulations, or guidelines. This bill requires, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies utilize DOJ's missing person reporting form, at a minimum for the initial contact with the parent or family member reporting a missing person. This bill requires that, as necessary and appropriate, the POST commission shall modify its missing persons investigations guidelines and curriculum with contemporary information. Specifically, the commission should consider including and (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageH revising their guidelines to include both of the following: Steps for law enforcement agencies in the first few hours after the reporting of a missing person. Information on the availability of the department task forces, the SAFE Task Force Regional Teams, and other entities that can assist in the search for a missing person. This bill requires that DOJ's Violent Crime Information Center make available, within two hours of a reported stranger abduction of a child, a list of persons required to register as sex offenders based upon the modus operandi, if available, or the specified geographical location from which the child was abducted. RECEIVERSHIP/OVERCROWDING CRISIS AGGRAVATION The severe prison overcrowding problem California has experienced for the last several years has not been solved. In December of 2006 plaintiffs in two federal lawsuits against the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sought a court-ordered limit on the prison population pursuant to the federal Prison Litigation Reform Act. On January 12, 2010, a federal three-judge panel issued an order requiring the state to reduce its inmate population to 137.5 percent of design capacity -- a reduction of roughly 40,000 inmates -- within two years. In a prior, related 184-page Opinion and Order dated August 4, 2009, that court stated in part: "California's correctional system is in a tailspin," the state's independent oversight agency has reported. . . . (Jan. 2007 Little Hoover Commission Report, "Solving California's Corrections Crisis: Time Is Running Out"). Tough-on-crime politics have increased the population of California's prisons dramatically while making necessary reforms impossible. . . . As a result, the state's prisons have become places "of extreme peril to the safety of persons" they house, . (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageI . . (Governor Schwarzenegger's Oct. 4, 2006 Prison Overcrowding State of Emergency Declaration), while contributing little to the safety of California's residents, . . . . California "spends more on corrections than most countries in the world," but the state "reaps fewer public safety benefits." . . . . Although California's existing prison system serves neither the public nor the inmates well, the state has for years been unable or unwilling to implement the reforms necessary to reverse its continuing deterioration. (Some citations omitted.) . . . The massive 750% increase in the California prison population since the mid-1970s is the result of political decisions made over three decades, including the shift to inflexible determinate sentencing and the passage of harsh mandatory minimum and three-strikes laws, as well as the state's counterproductive parole system. Unfortunately, as California's prison population has grown, California's political decision-makers have failed to provide the resources and facilities required to meet the additional need for space and for other necessities of prison existence. Likewise, although state-appointed experts have repeatedly provided numerous methods by which the state could safely reduce its prison population, their recommendations have been ignored, underfunded, or postponed indefinitely. The convergence of tough-on-crime policies and an unwillingness to expend the necessary funds to support the population growth has brought California's prisons to the breaking point. The state of emergency declared by Governor Schwarzenegger almost three years ago continues to this day, California's prisons remain severely overcrowded, and inmates in the California prison system continue to languish without constitutionally adequate medical and (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageJ mental health care.<1> The court stayed implementation of its January 12, 2010 ruling pending the state's appeal of the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, June 14, 2010, The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the state's appeal in this case. This bill does not appear to aggravate the prison overcrowding crisis described above. COMMENTS 1. Need for This Bill According to the author: AB 33 is critical for improving government's response when a child goes missing. It is a careful measure, with policies derived from conversations with law enforcement and nonprofit groups focusing on missing children. These conversations demonstrated that there are many resources available to aid in the search for a missing child. These range from search-and-investigation model policies for law enforcement to advanced databases on violent criminals to task forces that can assist in a search. Yet knowledge of these resources is lacking. Moreover, California does not require all law enforcement agencies to have policies in place to deal with a missing child. Without awareness of these resources and without policies in place at the local level, our ability to find a missing child is greatly reduced. ---------------------- <1> Three Judge Court Opinion and Order, Coleman v. Schwarzenegger, Plata v. Schwarzenegger, in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of California and the Northern District of California United States District Court composed of three judges pursuant to Section 2284, Title 28 United States Code (August 4, 2009). (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageK AB 33 addresses these issues. The California Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST) has created guidelines for investigations, yet these guidelines are not necessarily known, nor are they necessarily in use. To increase awareness, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under AB 33 will disseminate POST's "Guidelines For Handling Missing Persons Investigations" via a DOJ bulletin and through the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. Additionally, AB 33 will require law enforcement agencies to adopt a checklist document directing officers during the early hours of a missing person investigation - a critical time for the safe recovery of a child. Furthermore, it will require law enforcement agencies to have policy, regulations, or guidelines on missing persons investigations in place by January 1, 2012. Law enforcement agencies may implement their own policies or look to POST guidelines as a model. AB 33 will also require law enforcement agencies to utilize a missing person reporting form during the initial investigation of a missing person. This will ensure that officers collect all necessary details in order to aid in the search for that missing person. Many law enforcement agencies already comply with the requirements of AB 33. However, others might meet some requirements or none at all. Without a comprehensive approach in place for all jurisdictions, critical details can be overlooked, and a child's life could be endangered. With model policies available from POST, it is reasonable and prudent to that require policies be in place at each law enforcement agency. AB 33 also directs POST to update their Guidelines For Handling Missing Persons Investigations. In discussions with POST, the DOJ, and members of law enforcement, it became apparent that POST's guidelines (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageL lacked references to important resources, such as SAFE (Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement) Task Force Regional Teams and various task forces under the DOJ Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, which can assist in the search for a missing child. These resources are critical when local law enforcement is in need of assistance. Without knowledge of these resources and without inclusion in POST's guidelines, which can serve as a model for all law enforcement, we do not maximize our ability to find a missing child. Finally, AB 33 points to important technology in searching for a suspect in a missing child case. While the state and federal governments retain detailed information on sex offenders and other dangerous criminals, this information is of little use at the time of a stranger abduction of a child if it is not in the hands of law enforcement. The Violent Crimes Information Center (VCIC) has the capability to create a list of possible suspects, based on a number of criteria, and provide that list to law enforcement. AB 33 directs VCIC to do so and states that it is the intent of the Legislature that law enforcement obtain and utilize this list. We must maximize all tools in the search for a missing child, and producing a list of possible suspects is of the utmost importance. The sophistication and wealth of information retained at the VCIC reflect a drive to incorporate advanced technology in our fight against crime and in our fight to keep children safe. The next logical step is to make sure information moves from the database to the front lines, where law enforcement can use it. 2. Background: DOJ Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit The Department of Justice ("DOJ") provides the following information on its website: (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageM The Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit in the California Department of Justice assists law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in locating missing persons and identifying unknown live and deceased persons through the comparison of physical characteristics, fingerprints and dental/body X-rays. Subscribe to receive Missing Persons Bulletins in your e-mail inbox. In California, a missing person is someone whose whereabouts is unknown to the reporting party. This includes any child who may have run away, been taken involuntary or may be in need of assistance. It includes a child illegally taken, held or hidden by a parent or non-parent family member (See California Penal Code Sections 277-280 ). There is NO waiting period for reporting a person missing. All California police and sheriffs' departments must accept any report, including a report by telephone, of a missing person, including runaways, without delay and will give priority to the handling of the report. Schools are part of the network to help find missing children, not only through notices required to be given to a public school district or private school within 10 days of a child's disappearance but also through use of our Missing Person Bulletin. (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageN By making photographs of missing persons available, we seek to aid in the identification and recovery of missing persons. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children , one in six missing children are recovered as a direct result of someone recognizing their photo and notifying authorities. We also offer resources on this website for locating missing persons and safeguarding your children. The following offers a summary of some of our programs. Further information is available by selecting the program categories on the left menu. Missing Persons Search. A searchable database of missing persons allows you to look for a missing person by name, description, county and several other categories. Missing Children Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse provides a nationwide, toll-free hotline to receive tips on the whereabouts of missing persons. Call toll-free: 1-800-222-FIND (1-800-222-3463) Featured Missing Children and Adult Cases. The number of active missing person cases averages around 25,000 in California. The Featured Missing Children and Featured Missing Adults highlight cases where photographs have been submitted by law enforcement for use in accordance with laws and policies for sharing the image of the missing person. To have a photograph added, family members of a missing person should (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageO submit their photographs to the law enforcement agency taking the missing person report. Featured Unidentified Person. There are currently over 2,100 reports of unidentified persons in our automated database. Periodically, we will be providing photographs or drawings of selected cases.<2> 3. Background - CalEMA's Child Abduction Task Force According to its 2008 Summary Report, Fourth Addition, in July 1998 the California Children's Justice Act Task Force, located within the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA), formally became the California Child Abduction Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force consists of members from the original ad hoc committee and of new members considered experts in child abduction prevention and/or intervention, who meet three-to-four times a year to maintain an ongoing review of current child abduction issues. Since 1999, the Task Force has presented twenty-nine trainings throughout California. These trainings have attracted over 2,000 participants, primarily professionals who are first responders to reports of child abduction. According to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) training evaluations, participants have found the training worthwhile and the trainings have provided relevant and pertinent information. (http://www.calema.ca.gov/WebPage/oeswebsite.nsf/PDF/California%2 0Child%20Abduction%20Task%20Force:%202008%20Summary%20Report/$fil e/Child%20Abduction%20Summary%202008.pdf) CalEMA also appears to be the state's lead agency for federal Children's Justice Act funds, and has administered child --------------------------- --------------------------- <2> http://ag.ca.gov/missing/ . (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageP (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageQ abduction training requests for applications.<3> While not an issue directly raised by this bill, in light of its goals the authors may wish to consider whether the goals of this bill could be furthered by consolidating the state's efforts relating to missing persons and child abduction under one state entity. 4. POST'S "Guidelines for Handling Missing Persons Investigations" The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, pursuant to statutory mandate (Penal Code 13519.1), produces a course of training and guidelines for the investigation of missing persons. This training is a required component of the basic training of all California peace officers. The training curriculum includes: Acceptance of Initial Call Guideline 1: Determination of missing person case and sensitivity to the reporting party Guideline 2: Confirmation of responsibility for acceptance of report, priority in handling, and agency notification. Officer's Initial Contact at the Scene Guideline 3: Officer's initial contact: making an assessment at the scene. Guideline 4: Making a further assessment to determine what reasonable steps should be taken to locate the missing person. Guideline 5: Provide reporting party with Department of Justice Form #BCIA 4048 authorizing the release of ---------------------- <3> See http://www.oes.ca.gov/WebPage/oeswebsite.nsf/OESLevsPDF/2010%20Ch ild%20Abduction% 20Training%20Program%20(AC)/$file/AC10%20RFA.pdf. (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageR dental or skeletal X-rays or both, and photograph(s), including instructions on when to obtain these and submit them to the agency, per Penal Code Section 14206[a][1]. Guideline 6: Initiate follow-up contacts within 30 days. Guideline 7: Obtain the photograph, dental/skeletal X-rays, and medical records by "written declaration" when a person is still missing after 30 days, per Penal Code Section 14206[a] [1]. Guideline 8: Law enforcement agencies shall advise family or relatives of a missing person of their right to provide a voluntary sample for DNA testing, per Penal Code Section 14250[c](2) Guideline 9: Confer with the Coroner or Medical Examiner and submit a Missing Person Report and the dental charts and original (preferred) dental X-rays, skeletal X-rays, or both, and photographs to the Attorney General's Office, Department of Justice when any Missing Person has not been found within 45 days, per Penal Code Section 14206[b]. Reporting Responsibilities Guideline 10: Reporting responsibilities: the agency taking the missing person report shall submit the report to the Attorney General's Office, Department of Justice, per Penal Code Section 14205[b]. Guideline 11: When a missing person report is taken, the agency shall promptly notify and send a copy of the report to the department that has jurisdiction over the missing person's resident address and to the agency where the missing person was last seen per Penal Code Section 14205[c]. Guideline 12: Missing person reports must be entered into the Department of Justice's Missing Persons (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageS System (MPS) within four (4) hours. Guideline 13: Within ten (10) days of a child's disappearance, the agency responsible for investigation of the missing child shall inform the child's school that he/she is missing. The notice shall be in writing and, if available, include a photograph per California Education Code 49068.6(a). Law enforcement agencies may establish a process to inform local schools about abducted children per California Education Code 49068.6(c) Guideline 14: When a missing person is found, the agency must report this to the Attorney General's Office, Department of Justice and shall report it to the other agencies as appropriate, per Penal Code Section 14207. (More) Closure of Missing Person Investigation Guideline 15: Considerations for closure of missing person investigation. Missing Person Reporting Responsibility Reference Chart (Missing Persons Investigations, Guidelines and Curriculum, Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, http://lib.post.ca.gov/Publications/missing.pdf ) 5. What This Bill Would Do As the foregoing illustrates, several law enforcement agencies have been given responsibilities and developed different programs with respect to missing person investigations. This bill is one of a package of bills that seek to improve the handling of missing persons cases by utilizing these existing resources and seeking better coordination of effort and dissemination of information by various law enforcement agencies. Specifically, this bill: Encourages law enforcement agencies to obtain and utilize the list of registered sex offenders from the Violent Crime Information Center in the event of a reported stranger abduction of a child; Suggests that each law enforcement agency adopt, promulgate, and offer training regarding missing children and the reporting of missing children, as specified; Requires that DOJ make accessible to law enforcement agencies, as specified, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission's (POST) "Guidelines for Handling Missing Persons Investigations," relating to the investigation of missing persons; Requires that, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies adopt a checklist document directing peace officers on investigation guidelines and resources available to them in the early hours of a missing persons investigation, as specified; (More) AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageU Requires that by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies adopt a policy, regulations, or guidelines on missing persons investigations, as specified; Requires that, by January 1, 2012, law enforcement agencies utilize DOJ's missing person reporting form, at a minimum, for the initial contact with the parent or family member reporting a missing person; and Require that, as necessary and appropriate, the POST commission modify its missing persons investigations guidelines and curriculum with contemporary information, as specified. Additionally, AB 33 would require the Violent Crime Information Center (VCIC) of the Department of Justice to "make available within two hours of a reported stranger abduction of a child, a list of persons required to register as sex offenders based upon the modus operandi, if available, or the specified geographical location from which the child was abducted." WOULD THESE MEASURES HELP POLICE FIND ABDUCTED CHILDREN MORE QUICKLY? 6. Proposed Amendments The requirement in the bill that the "center" (meaning the VCIC) "make available within two hours of a reported stranger abduction of a child, a list of persons required to register as sex offenders based upon the modus operandi, if available, or the specified geographical location from which the child was abducted" amends a section that refers to a subsection of the Violent Crime Information Center known as the Investigative Support Unit. Current law requires that this unit only release information about active investigations by police and sheriffs' departments to local law enforcement agencies." (Penal Code section 14202(b).) The language of the bill does not specify to whom this disclosure would be made. The author may wish to amend the bill to refer to the Investigative Support Unit rather than the "center." The dissemination of this information would then be restricted to law enforcement agencies. AB 33 (Nava and Cook) PageV SHOULD THIS AMENDMENT BE TAKEN? ***************