Police failure to act

[MisplacedTexan]

What is the name of your state? Georgia?

First post and I'm not sure I'm in the right place, but here goes.

My teen, developmentally disabled daughter-along with other medical issues, ran away. We tracked her last known location to a coffee shop where she had dropped her phone. 3 eyewitnesses saw her there along with her phone being found there. We called the local police who refused to take a report. The referred us back to our neighboring county and said we must report from our home. Likened our missing daughter to "identity theft." Our home county agency had already told us we needed to report it from where she was last seen. When we told the officers we had already attempted to report it in our county, they still refused. Officer turned his back on me when I raised my voice about our human being - disabled daughter - instead of someone's identity. Our home county agency ultimately said they would take it but we spent 2+ critical hours trying to get someone to take the report. In reality, no activity was done on our daughter's case until the next morning.
In the meantime, a man picked our daughter up with the premice he was going to help her and ended up taking advantage of her in the worse way. He sexually assaulted her in the jurisdiction of the agency that refused to take the report. Now, if we were trying to report a car break in in that jurisdiction, they wouldn't have sent us home to report it. What if we were from out of state, or the other side of the metro area, instead of the neighboring county? Would they still have sent us home? Remember, 3 eyewitnesses placed her at the coffee shop along with her phone being found. She was a disabled, vulnerable, girl. Do we have a case against the agency that refused to act?

 

[quincy]

The report was taken by a law enforcement agency within 2 hours of you discovering your daughter ran away, was missing?

The State (prosecutor) should have a case against your daughter's assailant and your daughter/you might have a civil action to pursue against her assailant. I am not seeing that you have a solid action to pursue against the police, however.

You will want to speak to an attorney in your area for a personal review.

I am glad to hear your daughter is home. Good luck.

 

[MisplacedTexan]

Thank you.

No, it took about 2 hours to get a report filed between the two agencies due to the back and forth. We had spent about an hour looking for her first. She ended up being missing for 24 hours.

He is awaiting trial in our county on lesser charges but the ADA is pressing the other jurisdiction to file charges on the more severe crime. They've not yet acted.

 

[quincy]

Thank you.

No, it took about 2 hours to get a report filed between the two agencies due to the back and forth. We had spent about an hour looking for her first. She ended up being missing for 24 hours.

He is awaiting trial in our county on lesser charges but the ADA is pressing the other jurisdiction to file charges on the more severe crime. They've not yet acted.

Did you report your daughter as a runaway? How old is your teen daughter?

 

[MisplacedTexan]

She was 19 at the time but due to her disability, functions more like a 12/13 yr old. She was also without vital medication.

 

[quincy]

The police must report runaways who are over the age of 17 to the Georgia Crime Information Center within 12 hours of a report. But 17+ year olds cannot be detained by the police if they are located.

I am sorry the police did not act as rapidly or as well as you (and any parent) would hope. But I am still afraid the legal actions available to your daughter will be against the man who assaulted her.

I am glad the police were able to identify him and arrest him.

Good luck.

 

[MisplacedTexan]

"did not act as rapidly"?....how about did nothing at all? On a 20 degree night, they refused to do anything about a missing, disabled individual, regardless of age, who was without their seizure meds, and without any money, last seen in their jurisdiction only a couple hours before, who literally turned their back on an upset mother. Why is this okay? So much for protect and serve. They didn't want to do their job.

 

[quincy]

"did not act as rapidly"?....how about did nothing at all? On a 20 degree night, they refused to do anything about a missing, disabled individual, regardless of age, who was without their seizure meds, and without any money, last seen in their jurisdiction only a couple hours before, who literally turned their back on an upset mother. Why is this okay? So much for protect and serve. They didn't want to do their job.

It is not okay as much as it is not illegal.

Your runaway adult daughter was found and the man with whom she left the coffee shop was arrested and is now awaiting prosecution.

Your daughter's decision to run away from home resulted in harm to her, and this harm was not caused by the police but by the man who assaulted her.

I can understand your pain and your anger but I think the target of your anger might be misplaced.

I hope your daughter is getting counseling.

 

[MisplacedTexan]

Oh, I have enough anger to go around, lol. Thank you for your time.

And, yes she is.

 

[quincy]

Oh, I have enough anger to go around, lol. Thank you for your time.

And, yes she is.

You're welcome, MisplacedTexan.

I am sorry your daughter had such a horrific experience. I am glad she is seeing a counselor.

 

[Zigner]

I, too, am sorry that she has suffered in this. Do you have guardianship over your daughter?