Statewide group aims to improve missing persons investigations in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A new statewide missing persons working group is focused on improving missing persons investigations.

Twenty-four members appointed by Governor Mike DeWine are looking at ways to bring loved ones home safer and faster.

The Missing Persons Working Group is examining resources and responses statewide.

The working group includes local members from Cleveland Police, New Philadelphia Police and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

19 Investigates was there as the group met for its second time last week.

Sylvia Colon, co-founder of Cleveland Missing, is also a part of the working group.

“Families are victims too, and I say that over and over again. And I said it at our first meeting and I’ll continue to say it. But I don’t even need to say it anymore, the families that come here, they talk about how they’ve been victimized as well. I think that’s what’s really important, and those are going to have to be takeaways for law enforcement to think differently about how they engage differently with families of the missing,” Colon said.

Sylvia’s cousin, Gina DeJesus, was one of three women found alive on the west side of Cleveland after nearly a decade.

We asked Colon what she thinks is the most pressing change that can be made quickly.

“I think our hope is that there will be some standardized processes in law enforcement around how they work a missing persons case, whether it be a child or an adult,” she said.

Members of the group are diving into best practices to find missing people.

Colon said they discussed making sure police agencies and families know you don’t need to wait 24 hours to file a police report.

Members of the working group also pitched the idea of better training for all detectives on missing persons cases and hit on the importance of digitizing records in cold cases across the state.

“They’re really identifying families and looking at what the needs of the families are as well. And to me that speaks volumes to what this committee can do,” Colon said.

The working group also talked about the idea of having a “missing persons point person” at every law enforcement agency.

The group will meet four more times and is expected to issue recommendations at the end of April.

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