Tips for Locating Your Runaway

​Make a list of all friends, associates and classmates, and start calling.

• Who is the boyfriend / girlfriend and where do they live?
• This lets your runaway know that you are hot on their trail and are serious about finding them.
• Last names, phone numbers and addresses are a great help if you have something you would like the investigator to help with.
• Many runaways have been trained by other runaways and will tell your child to take date books and photos with them or destroy them.
• The runaway may clear all telephone numbers from a cellular telephone databank so that you won't call their friends.

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

• Your runaway's friends will often hide the truth from you and investigators.
• Document the names of the parents and tell the parents that you absolutely do not give permission for your runaway to stay or live anywhere except home.
• Because running away is not a crime, court orders for cellular telephone records cannot be obtained. If the cellular telephone that your runaway might be using is in your name, you can get the call records without a court order.

Consider *57.

• If your child calls home, you can dial *57. This is an actual trace done by the telephone company. There is a small fee for each *57. (Approx. $2.00 per each trace request)
• After the call, hang up and immediately get a new dial tone before any other incoming calls and dial *57. Stay on the line and wait for the 1-800 number that you will receive from a message machine.
• Document the date, time and telephone number that you used. This may not work on incoming cellular telephone calls.
• Call the investigator with the information. The information can only be released to a law enforcement agency and it requires a police PIN number and an active case number.
• Not all traces are successful. From some cordless telephone or rotary dial telephones use *1157

List all of the "hang outs" and activities of your child.

• You may know of several and the runaway's friends may give you more.
• Let the investigator know if the runaway has used or is using drugs.
• List what the runaway enjoys doing in his/her spare time.
• Has the runaway talked about places where they had fun?

List what the runaway took with them.​

• How many changes of clothing?
• Any food or money taken?
• Cellular telephone or pager with your child?
• Make-up or toys missing
• (CD player, video game systems, skateboard, bicycle, et cetera.)

Check telephone, computer / Internet access.

• Check the computer history. You may find that a bus ticket was purchased.
• Search for e-mail to friends and messages about running away.
• Check your long distance telephone log.

Check with the school and any employers.

• The school will be glad to give you an attendance history.
• The school staff and security officers may know friends that you don't.
• Is your runaway expecting a paycheck soon?
• Are there work associates that you are not aware of?
• What is the work history like
• Unexcused absences from work?

Monitor your home.

• Many runaways will sneak home to steal food, money and get more clothing. Many times they don't come alone.
• Is there a way to secure your home and know if the runaway was there while you were at work or away?