If there is reason to believe that a student, employee or visitor is missing from the campus, the Alcorn State University police department must be notified immediately at 601-877-3000 or ext. 3000. On the Natchez Campus, contact the campus police at 601-304-4384.
According to state law, there is a 24 hour waiting period to declare an adult (over 18 years old) missing. If a child (under 18 years) old is missing or believed to be in danger, there is not a 24-hour waiting period. This also includes cases involving minor students or minors participating in programs on campus. Alcorn’s missing person procedure also includes all students who live off campus.
Procedure
Upon determination of a missing person, adult or minor, the university police department will generate a missing person report and initiate an investigation.
If the missing person is an adult over the age of 18, and has been missing for more than 24 hours, the Alcorn State University police department will immediately notify the missing person’s emergency contacts, law enforcement agencies in surrounding counties and in the jurisdiction where the student or employee originally resided, unless that jurisdiction made the missing person report. All adult missing person emergency contact(s) will be contacted no later than 24 hours after he or she is determined missing.
If the missing student is a minor under the age of 18, and is not emancipated, the student’s legal parents or guardian, or emergency contact will be contacted immediately after there is reason to believe that the student is missing.
All missing person information will be entered on the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) system and that information will become nationwide. In the cases involving minors, there will be no 24 hour wait and the information will be entered immediately into the NCIC system after there is reason to believe that the student or visitor is missing.
Students and employees have provided emergency contact information upon entering the university either as a student or an employee. This information is confidential; and can only be accessed by authorized campus officials. This information will only be disclosed to collaborating law enforcement agencies for furtherance of an investigation.
To assist with the investigation, the university radio station, television station, Connect-Ed system and university website may be used to disseminate information regarding the missing person.