About 3,500 Charlotteans are reported missing yearly. How to notify CMPD for help

Evan Moore
·2 min read

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department receives more than 3,500 missing reports annually.

Around 70% of those reports involve minors between the ages of 13 and 17, and adults account for the other 30%, according to the CMPD website.

In one of CMPD’s latest missing persons cases, the body of 48-year-old Matt Sullivan, of Charlotte, was found at McAlpine Creek Park on Monday, The Charlotte Observer reported. He was reported missing on Friday.

Like most other missing persons cases, no foul play is suspected, police said.

Less than 10% of missing persons reports filed each year in Charlotte involve foul play, and most people who are missing are found or return home within days, according to CMPD.

Here’s what CMPD can do about people who are missing, and how to file a report in Charlotte.



How to report a missing person in Charlotte

There is no waiting period before you can file a missing persons report, according to CMPD.

If a loved one is missing, you should call 911 as soon as possible. When you talk to an officer, the N.C. Department of Public Safety recommends providing the person’s last known location and the names of any of their family members and friends.

You can also request that law enforcement distribute a bulletin or a Silver Alert if the person has a cognitive impairment, according to NCDPS.

How CMPD investigates missing person reports

Since adults are not legally bound to a residence or location and are not required to notify relatives of their whereabouts, law enforcement is often limited in what they can do to find them, according to CMPD.

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If a missing person is located, law enforcement cannot divulge any information about that person without their consent.

What happens when youths go missing or runaway

CMPD’s Missing Persons Unit can assist in solving runaway cases, but the process can take months.

A runaway is defined as someone who has a motive to disappear and does not want to be found, while a missing person is someone who disappeared without explanation, according to CMPD.

Finding a runaway child depends largely on the participation of the parent or guardian, according to CMPD. Here are a few tips from the department on how you can find your child if they run away:

  • Make a list of all your child’s friends, associates, and classmates and call them.

  • Keep track of who you have contacted, what they told you and when.

  • Make a list of all the places where your child likes to hang out.

  • Make a list of any items your child took, like clothing, food or money.

  • Check your child’s online search history or emails.

  • Check with your child’s school or employer.

  • Monitor your home in case your child decides to return.