Missing children reports up locally
May 20—LIMA — Allen County authorities processed 182 missing children reports in 2024, according to a new report issued by Attorney General Dave Yost on Monday.
That's up 12 compared to the 170 seen in 2023's report.
The state's annual missing children report provides an overview of the 16,404 children reported missing to Ohio law enforcement agencies last year.
Ninety-six percent of children reported missing were accounted for by year's end, while three children were found deceased and others remained missing, the report found.
"Every missing person is someone to somebody — a child, sibling, loved one or friend," Yost said in a news release accompanying the report. "I am proud of the dedication shown by Ohio law enforcement to keep Ohio's children safe and commit that my office will continue to do everything in its power to support that mission."
Auglaize County increased from nine reports in 2023 to 11 in 2024. Van Wert County increased, with nine in 2024 compared to seven in 2023. Hardin County also went up, to 30 in 2024 from 24 in 2023.
Putnam County was the only area county with a decrease, with one report in 2024, compared to two in 2023.
The report is a joint effort between local law enforcement agencies and the National Crime Information Center, a missing person and criminal information database operated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Law enforcement agencies create a missing person report whenever a child goes missing. That information is entered into the NCIC database, which is accessible to other law enforcement agencies, and is updated once a child is found.
Law enforcement agencies received 1,001 fewer missing children reports last year than in 2023, according to the report.
More than half of the missing children reports involved runaway children, or children who left home without permission and stayed away overnight, accounting for 8,415 cases in 2024.
Another 37 cases involved abductions by a non-custodial parent, while nine missing children reports involved abductions by strangers, according to the report.
Law enforcement agencies issued 13 AMBER alerts and 17 endangered missing children alerts last year. Two of those children were deceased by the time law enforcement located them. All others were recovered safely, according to the report.
2024 MISSING CHILD REPORT BY COUNTY
Allen County: 182
Auglaize County: 11
Hardin County: 30
Putnam County: 1
Van Wert County: 9
Source: Ohio Missing Child Clearinghouse Report, 2024
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