Montana Code 44-2-505. Duties of law enforcement authority
44-2-505. Duties of law enforcement authority. Whenever a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child files a report with a law enforcement authority that the child is missing, the law enforcement authority shall within 2 hours of the report:
Terms Used In Montana Code 44-2-505
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Missing child: means any person who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement authority and:
(i)who is under 21 years of age;
(ii)whose temporary or permanent residence is in Montana or is believed to be in Montana; and
(iii)whose location has not been determined. See Montana Code 44-2-502
- Missing child report: means a report prepared on a form designed by the department of justice for use by private citizens and law enforcement authorities to report information about missing children to the missing children information program provided for in 44-2-503. See Montana Code 44-2-502
(1)inform all on-duty law enforcement officers of the existence of the missing child report;
(2)communicate the report to all other law enforcement authorities having jurisdiction in the county;
(3)enter the missing child report into the national crime information center computer system; and
(4)if the missing child is enrolled in a Montana public school district, request the child’s directory photograph from the superintendent of public instruction pursuant to 20-7-1317. If a directory photograph is available, it must be included with the missing child report.