Law enforcement building plan for unified response to missing person calls

When a family member or someone you know disappears, who do you call for help? Anyone you can.

It might seem complicated. Ten different law enforcement jurisdictions exist within, or at least partially within, the Flathead Indian Reservation boundary, not counting federal authorities. This includes four county sheriff offices, four city police departments, Montana Highway Patrol and Flathead Tribal Police.

Capt. Louis Fiddler and Det. Will Mesteth of the Tribal Police recommend you call any of the agencies. Call 911. Call the Tribe. Call your local law enforcement, or even call a friend to help you call. Just call somebody. They are all connected, and have been working out procedures so that no matter who takes the call, everyone knows how to respond quickly to help.

In a local contribution toward the nationwide effort to address the problem of murdered and missing persons and human trafficking, Flathead Tribal Police and the CSKT Tribal organization are working with their counterparts in the nine other law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction within the Flathead Indian Reservation to create a cohesive plan of action.

Fiddler said the Community Response Plan will help guide law enforcement and other community action regarding missing persons. This plan is the first of its kind in the nation, and can serve as an example to help other communities create their own plan, tailored to local situations and customs.

”When there is a missing person, whether Native or not, whether the first report is to Ronan Police, Lake County Sheriff, or anyone else, we all will be doing the same thing, so the right hand knows what the left hand is doing,” Fiddler said. This includes reporting the case to the Montana Missing Persons Clearinghouse and alerting other area agencies, as well as quickly pursuing the case. “Every single call is taken to heart and followed up.”

Besides the law enforcement portion, the Tribes’ plan includes teaming up with three other supportive entities that will help with public coordination, taking some of the burden off of law enforcement so they can concentrate fully on the investigation.

“All four of these entities will be activated upon receiving a missing person report, according to the plan we’re developing,” Fiddler said.

Victim Services, Fiddler said, will step in to help meet the needs of the family and those connected with the case. This ensures they are kept in the communication “loop” without having to personally stay in contact with law enforcement.

Community Outreach groups will be available to help gather information, maintain social media connections, or even gather volunteers for a grid search, Mesteth said.

The fourth part of the team is local news outlets.

“The media is important for getting the word out, from beginning to end, the initial part of the investigation to its conclusion, and adjudication,” Fiddler said.

For the Tribes, having a Public Information Officer (CSKT Communications Director Robert McDonald) gives the press one person they can go to who can get them the information or answers they need.

“Law enforcement have always been doing our part,” Mesteth said. “But bringing these other three entities into our policy is taking a bunch off our plate. Now we can mainly concentrate on our law enforcement duties, like following up on leads and interviewing people, while we know these other parts are being taken care of. This allows us to put all of our resources on the table and draw from all of it, whether it be law enforcement contacts or community contacts.”

“This is something we’ve all been doing to some extent, but this puts it on paper,” Fiddler said. “We look at it like, ‘What if all of us who have been working together suddenly were gone?’ All that knowledge, all the procedures and contacts, would be gone. We all know what to do, but we had never taken the time to institute it into a policy. Not only a policy for the Tribes, but a policy instituted throughout the reservation, no matter which entity you’re working for.”

Recognizing common red flags

“We want people to feel comfortable calling based on a suspicion,” Mesteth said about recognizing potential trafficking victims or reporting a possible lead on a missing person. “If you see or hear something that just seems wrong, you should probably call, because there’s a good chance you are right.”

Mesteth and others in law enforcement train people throughout the state to recognize signs that a person they see might be in danger, or a victim of abuse or trafficking. Victims are often lured in with promises of love, friendship or money, and may be forced into drug addiction and/or sex to keep them controlled.

“We work on prevention through education,” Mesteth said. “We give presentations for teachers and students at schools, organizations, hospitals, anyone that requests them.”

He and others recently teamed up to make a training video with the Montana Beer and Wine Distributors, who recognized that their drivers are restocking stores everywhere, both in rural and urban areas, including “hot spots” for trafficking such as casinos, motels and truck stops with restaurants attached.

Some signs to watch for:

• Signs of physical injuries and abuse, drug use or intoxication, malnourishment;
• A dominant person, usually male, who speaks for the victim;
• Victim not allowed to speak, stays behind, avoids eye contact and social interaction;
• Seeming to adhere to scripted or rehearsed responses in social interaction;
• Lacking official identification documents;
• Appearing destitute/lacking personal possessions;
• Checking into hotels/motels with older males who ask for a room around back or away from the office. Traffic in and out of the room;
• Poor physical or dental health;
• Social media connections with strangers or gifts from unknown sources can alert parents their loved one may be being “groomed” for a trafficking relationship.

Call 911 or any law enforcement agency to report a missing person or a suspicious observation.