missing child

[wrtr65]

Hello everyone. I'm a writer, working on a story in which a girl disappears in a small town. I'm confused about how an investigation might unfold. I assume the small town cops would call in outside help at some point. But how long would they wait? And who would they call? The state police? The FBI? This is a very small town, in upstate New York. Would a local cop remain in charge of the investigation? Or would someone else take over? Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to provide!

[tcsd1236]

Well, lemme see; I live in a "small town" in Upstate NY, so here goes.
Since we have actually HAD searches like this, I'll work my way through this based on past incidents.
Initial response by all working officers to scene, including supervisors. Under certain conditions, Admin types will also respond.
Initial manpower assistance provided by canine units or other adjacent agencies as available.
Fire personnel are usually called in for extra assistance in ground searches; areas are usually searched in a grid pattern.
Nearest Air support for my county is an hour away; we've asked for them a couple of times, and it's always been a great help.
Outside agencies on a patrol officer level will often get involved during the initial search process. Involving higher level outside agency help, such as State Police CID personnel or Federal agencies, will only occur if there is some actual proof of wrong-doing: kidnapping, murder, etc. They will be called in AS SOON as there is proof of such criminal activity.
Hope this helps you.