169-E:3 Procedure. –
I. If a missing child report is made to a law enforcement agency in this state that has jurisdiction in the matter, the law enforcement agency shall gather readily available information about the missing child and integrate it into the national crime information center computer within 12 hours following the making of the report, unless extraordinary circumstances cause a delay. The law enforcement agency shall make reasonable efforts to acquire additional information about the missing child following the transmittal of the initially available information, and promptly integrate any additional information acquired into such computer system.
II. The parents, custodial parent, guardian, legal custodian, or other person responsible for the missing child shall provide available information upon request, and may provide information voluntarily, to the law enforcement agency during the information gathering process. The law enforcement agency also may obtain available information about the missing child from other persons, subject to constitutional and statutory limitations.
III. Upon the filing of a missing child report, the law enforcement agency involved promptly shall make a reasonable attempt to notify other law enforcement agencies within its county and, if the agency has jurisdiction in a city, town, or unorganized or unincorporated place that borders another county, to notify the law enforcement agency for the city, town, or unorganized or unincorporated place in the other county with which it shares the border, that it has taken a missing child report and may be requesting assistance or cooperation in the case, and provide relevant information to the other law enforcement agencies. The agency may notify additional law enforcement agencies and appropriate county providers of human services exercising children services functions, about the case, request their assistance or cooperation in the case, and provide them with relevant information.
IV. Upon request from a law enforcement agency, a county provider of human services exercising children services functions shall grant the law enforcement agency access to all information concerning a missing child that the provider possesses that may be relevant to the law enforcement agency in investigating a missing child report concerning that child. The information obtained by the law enforcement agency shall only be used to further the investigation to locate the missing child.