Current Missing Person Cases

The Metropolitan Police Department takes all of its missing persons cases seriously and is committed to ensuring that each case receives the same level of police service and exposure. As in most major cities, thousands of people are reported missing in the District of Columbia each year. In 2016, there were 3,547 missing person cases recorded by the MPD, with 2,443 deemed critical. Of the 3,547 cases from 2016, six remain open missing person cases: four critical and two non-critical.

The Metropolitan Police Department closes more than 99 percent of its missing persons cases, with the majority of the cases being closed in a short amount of time.

A “critical missing person” is defined as any person under the age of 15 or over the age of 65, or anyone that, based on the specific circumstances (e.g., mentally incapacitated, patient who presents an imminent danger to him/herself or others, in a life threatening situation, real or suspected danger of foul play, etc.), is designated as such by the Patrol District’s Watch Commander. (See General Order below for complete list of “critical” designation criteria.)

The AMBER Alert Program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. Get more information on the federal guidelines for issuing Amber Alerts.

File a Missing Person Report

There is no time limit that you must wait to report a person as missing, whether he/she is considered missing or a runaway. You do not have to wait 48 hours to file a report. The MPD offers a Missing Persons Guide to help navigate the process if you wish to file a report.

Missing Person Statistics

All Data as of 5/12/2017 (updated daily, M-F)

Missing Person Cases	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Juvenile	2,610	2,067	2,223	2,433	2,250	847
Adult	1,919	1,270	1,504	1,423	1,295	446
Total Reported Cases	4,529	3,337	3,727	3,856	3,545	1,293

Closed Missing Person Cases	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Critical	2,856	2,376	2,695	2,865	2,439	861
Non-Critical	1,672	960	1,030	989	1,101	397
Total	4,528	3,336	3,725	3,854	3,540	1,258

Currently Open Cases	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Juvenile Critical	0	0	1	0	1	10
Juvenile Non-Critical	0	0	0	0	0	6
Adult Critical	1	1	0	1	2	4
Adult Non-Critical	0	0	1	1	2	15
Total Open Cases	1	1	2	2	5	35

The information and data on this webpage is updated daily. It is important to note that the information changes in real time as missing people are reported and found. In an attempt to more quickly find people reported missing and get the publics assistance, we post critical missing persons alerts on Twitter and on the website. Once a missing person has been located, the original tweet will be re-tweeted with an update that the individual has been located; the photo and flier will be removed from the website, as required to protect the individual’s privacy. Because fliers are added and removed from the website as soon as that information becomes available, the total number of open and closed cases may not correspond directly with the number of fliers available online at any given time.

Missing Person Fliers

The following list includes links to fliers open missing persons cases. Because missing persons are reported and closed on a regular basis, the total number of fliers listed below may not directly mirror the totals in the table above. If you have information about any of these cases, please conact the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE to 50411.

Click on any name below for details on a particular case and download the PDF flyer.