TEMPLE, Texas — In January 2024 alone, 6 News shared over a dozen missing person alerts in the Central Texas area, with a majority coming from the Temple, Killeen and Waco Police Departments.
Some 6 News viewers took notice of this, commenting that there seemed to be a higher number of missing persons cases coming out of the area than usual.
6 News spoke to representatives from the Killeen Police Department and the City of Temple to find out if there truly was an increase in missing persons cases, and why that could be.
Killeen Police Department Public Affairs Officer Ofelia Miramontez said the department has not seen an increase in missing persons cases recently, but that they use social media as a way to hear responses from the community more easily.
"I was advised that there has not been a recent increase in missing persons," said Miramontez in a statement to 6 News. "The Killeen Police Department is always looking for ways to better serve citizens and by using social media, it assists us in spreading the awareness about the missing person and receive responses from the community about the missing person. The department will continue to post missing persons when applicable and ask the community for assistance."
Megan Price, Public Relations Coordinator for the City of Temple, said the Temple Police Department saw 15 reports of missing persons between the months of December 2023 and January 2024, an increase from the seven reports that same time last year.
"There was an 8% increase over those two months," Price told 6 News. "However, month-by-month variation is normal, it is going to happen."
Despite this increase, Price said the department typically puts more emphasis on yearly numbers of missing persons cases, which she said actually decreased in 2023 by nearly 11%.
Price said the main reason Central Texans may have seen an increase in missing persons cases being shared is due to a 2022 policy change, where the Temple Police Department posts all missing persons cases and runaways on their social media pages. (6 News does not report on runaways.)
"That is a reason why it could appear that there are more cases being reported," said Price, "Because of that policy change."
Price said that the department believes social media plays a very helpful role in missing persons cases, and the new policy is a way to get information out to the public and encourage anyone with information to contact the department.
Of the 15 missing persons cases in Temple from December 2023 to January 2024, Price said at the time of the interview that only two cases remained active, as all other missing persons have been located.
"That also helps with the investigation process and finding those individuals," Price told 6 News.
Temple PD has since shared that Mya Norman was reported missing on Feb. 8, after this interview was conducted.
Price also gave some advice on what to do if you have information on a missing person, and some resources in the community.
"We always recommend reporting someone as soon as you are concerned about them," Price said. "If something is sort of an abnormal pattern that they might have, like they're always in contact with you and then they're not and you haven't seen them in a while, whether it's a kiddo or a young adult or an older adult, definitely just reporting it as soon as you feel uncomfortable with the situation."
Price said reports can be made to the Temple Police Department at 911 or 254-298-5500, or to the Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-8477.
Price said the department will continue to share missing persons cases on social media going forward.
The full interview with Price can be found above or on KCENTV.com.
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