DeWine announces Ohio Missing Persons Working Group recommendations
DeWine created the working group in January to examine the complexities of missing persons cases, the roadblocks encountered by law enforcement, and the struggles faced by families with missing loved ones.
"Thousands of children and adults are reported missing each year, and although most are located quickly, some simply vanish, leaving anguished families behind and adding to law enforcement's growing caseload," said DeWine. "The goal of this working group was to identify what more we could do as a state to help law enforcement bring more missing people home and support family members during a time of great despair."
Members of the working group, including law enforcement, advocates, family members, and educators, recommended 18 areas of improvement around the issues of information sharing between law enforcement agencies, communication between family members and investigators, continued professional training, public education, and advocacy.
Working group members suggested several changes to Ohio law, including the strengthening of penalties for those who interfere with custody, the addition of Endangered Missing Child Alerts to the Ohio Revised Code, and the ability for law enforcement to more easily access information such as phone and social media records in circumstances where a missing person is believed to be at risk.
Other recommendations aim to ease the burden on family members by breaking down communication barriers with law enforcement, providing easier access to resources, and engaging advocates to support families of children who repeatedly disappear.
"The testimony from family members of missing persons was particularly impactful, and the working group acknowledges the grief, loss, and trauma they've experienced," said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson, who chaired the working group. "The pain and frustration expressed to the working group were real and readily apparent. The efforts of this working group aim to bring some level of relief, justice, or closure to those across the state who have experienced the loss associated with a missing family member. "
DeWine has ordered several cabinet agencies to carry out multiple recommendations, including:
—The Ohio State Highway Patrol within the Ohio Department of Public Safety will automate the process of notifying specific law enforcement agencies of Endangered Missing Child Alerts.
—The Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board within the Department of Public Safety's Office of Criminal Justice Services will create a law enforcement best practices guide on interacting with family members of missing persons.
—The Office of Criminal Justice Services will expand the Ohio Prisoner Extradition Reimbursement Program to include interference with custody cases.
—The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Health will develop continued professional training to further educate the healthcare industry on law enforcement exemptions to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
—The Ohio Department of Children and Youth, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and others will work with local law enforcement to develop a pilot program that utilizes advocates to support at-risk youth who regularly leave their homes or group home settings.
DeWine also announced that, in response to a recommendation from the working group, he is contacting the U.S. Attorney General's Office to alert them to deficiencies in data sharing between local, state, and federal databases.
Further recommendations were made to the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). BCI's Missing Persons Unit is the state authority on missing persons investigations and can assist local law enforcement agencies on request. Suggestions for BCI include the creation of a central repository of resources for families and investigators, the launch of an annual missing persons conference, and the establishment of a confidential forum for law enforcement to discuss investigative techniques and perform case reviews.
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USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine calls sending National Guard to D.C. 'the right thing to do'
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USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Ohio governor says sending National Guard to D.C. 'the right thing to do'
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DeWine is one of three Republican governors who said they'll send additional troops, Reuters reported. Ohio state House Democrats are calling on DeWine to bring the Ohio National Guard home. 'Ohio's National Guard exists to protect and serve Ohioans and other Americans in moments of true crisis. When disasters like floods, storms, or community emergencies happen here at home, they're there to rebuild," said Ohio state House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, a Democrat from Cincinnati. "Their mission is helping Ohioans, not serving as props in a president's political theatre." But DeWine says his decision, which was optional, is consistent with how he's deployed the Ohio National Guard in the past. More: DeWine ordered National Guard troops to assist in DC. What to know about Trump's plan What will the Ohio National Guard do in D.C.? The Ohio National Guard will patrol Washington, D.C., and protect federal buildings, DeWine said. "If in doing a patrol or if in standing guard of a federal building, an arrest has to be made, our guard will be in direct contact with the D.C. police department who will make arrests," DeWine said. "Our people won't make the arrests." How long will the Ohio National Guard be in the nation's capital? The Ohio National Guard will leave Aug. 20 for a 30-day deployment, DeWine said. The secretary of the Army could ask for an extension, which DeWine could grant or deny. How often does DeWine deploy the Ohio National Guard? DeWine deployed Ohio National Guard members and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers to the southern border in 2021. He also sent members to assist with hurricane recovery in Florida, North Carolina and Louisiana. In 2020, DeWine sent the National Guard to Columbus and Cleveland to respond to protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In both instances, mayors requested help. The Ohio National Guard played a key role in Ohio's COVID-19 response and assisted with the aftermath of a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023. Is the D.C. deployment different? Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser didn't ask for help with the city's violent crime rate, which declined 35% between 2023 and 2024. Attorneys for the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its police takeover. DeWine says that doesn't matter, legally. "The people who don't like it in D.C. don't have the authority. The president of the United States has that authority," DeWine said. "Anybody can argue whether or not he should or shouldn't have the authority, but it's very clear. There is no debate he has the authority to do what he did." But Democrats say the deployment is political. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, said in a statement: "The men and women of Ohio's National Guard signed up to serve their country, not a lawless president who has repeatedly ignored our nation's constitution and principles." Is sending the National Guard optional? It depends. Typically, governors control the National Guard within their states. The federal government can request assistance from state National Guard members, which governors can approve or reject. That is the case with Secretary Driscoll's request for Ohio National Guard assistance in D.C. "The law is not a blank check allowing the president to use military forces anywhere in the country and for any purpose so long as they can find one willing governor," according to a Brennan Center for Justice analysis. In certain circumstances, presidents can federalize the National Guard by invoking the Insurrection Act. But this is rare. 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New York Post
09-08-2025
- New York Post
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