Racial disparities in missing persons coverage

EVERY YEAR.

ROUGHLY 40 PERCENTARE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

BUT THECASSE THAT BECOME HOUSEHOLDNAMES R AE USUALLY WHITEWOMEN.GABBY PETITO'S FATHERADDRESSED THE DISPARITY DURINGA NATIONAL NEWS CONFERENCEABOUT THE SEARCH FOR HISDAUGHTER.TO BE HONEST, IT OSHULDCONTINUE FOR OTHER PEOPLE TOO.THIS SAME TYPE OF HEIGHTENEDAWARENESS SHOULD BE CONTINUEDFOR EVERYONE.

EVERYONE!WHY DOES HTIS UNBALANCED MEDIACOVERAGE EXIST?

MYINVESTIGATION GETS TO THE COREOF A PROBLEM THAT'S CAUSING USTO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT LAWENFORCEMENT AND OURSELVES.15:53:19 15:53:28 I WOULDLIKE AND WOULD APPRECIATE IT ALOT IF YOU ALL COULD BRING MYKIDS HOME BECAUSE I REALLYWANT THEM HOME AND I WANT THEMBACK EWNS THREE SHARED THECRIES FOR HELP TOI FND KEIRAND CHLOE JOHNSON WHEN THEYVANISHED FROM HAMPTON FOURYEARS AGO.

BUT THE SEARCH FORTHE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER HASYET TO DRAW NATIONAL ATTENTIONLIKE GABBY PETITO OR NATALIEHOLLOWAY OR ELIZABETH SMART.THE DIFFERENCE SOME SAY ISBLACK AND WHITE.

02:29(WILSON) NO ONE, NOT ONERPESON CAN NAME A MISSINGBLACK OR BROWN MALE FEMALE ORCHILD THAT HAS GARNEREDMAINSTREAM MEDIA, NOT ONE.SOURCE: BLACK AND MISSING ZOOMINTERVIEW CAN YOU?

NAME ONE?WHILE YOU TRY -- MEET DERRICAWILSON.

SHE CO-FOUNDED THEBLACK AND MISSING FOUNDATIONIN 2008 TO SHINE A LIGHT ONTHE NAMES THE WORLD MAY NOTKNOW.

10:36 (WILSON) EVERYFAMILY THAT HAS A MISSINGLOVED ONE THEIR HEART BLEEDSTHE SAME WAY SOURCE: BLACK ANDMISSING ZOOM INTERVIEW WILSONA FORMER DEPUTY SHERIFF FORARLINGTON COUNTY AIMS TOLEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FORMISSING PEOPLE OF COLOR.

THEPLAYERS -- LAW ENFORECMENT ANDNEWS ORGANIZATIONS.

32:38(WILSON) THE MEDIA COVERAGE ISSO CRITICAL BECAUSE IT APPLIESPRESSURE, ALSO TO LAWENFORCEMENT TO DEDICATEADDITNIOAL RESOURCES& OURINVESTIGATION REVEALS THEDOWNFALL COMES DOWN TODIVERSITY.

THE PEW RESEACHRCENTER SAYS NEWSROOMS ARE 77PERCENT WHITE.

AND HTIS STUDYFROM THE JOURNAL OFCRIMINOLOGY ND ACRIMINALJUSTICE ANALYZED NATIONAL NEWSCOVERAGE OF MISSING PEOPLE OFCOLOR.

THEY FOUND BLACK PEOPLE"ARE SIGNIFICANTLYUNDERREPRESENT ED IN THEPOPULATION OF MISSING PERSONSWHO RECEIVED COVERAGE&" EVENTHOUGH NEARLY 40 PERCENT OFALL MISSING CASES ARE PEOPLEOF COLOR.

THE STUDY ALSO FOUNDWHITE WOMEN WERE OVERREPRESENTED -- MAKING UP 30PERCENT OF MISSING CASES, BUTRECEIVING MORE THAN HALF OFTHE NATIONAL NEWS COVERAGE.THERE'S A LACK OF DVEIRSITY INLAW ENFORCEMENT, TOO.

ANANALYSIS OF LOCAL POLICEDEPARTMENTS NATIONWIDE REVEALSTHEY'RE NEARLY 70 PERCENTWHITE.

THE BLACK AND MISSINGFOUNDATION SAYS THAT CAN LEADTO AN ASSUMPTION MISSINGMINORITIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITHCRIME.

AND MISSING CHILDREN OFCOLOR ARE OFTEN CLASSIFIED ASRUNAWAYS.

05:50 (WILSON) WEALL KNOW THAT RUNAWAYS ARE NOTRECEIVING THE AMBER ALERT AND,QUIT EFRANKLY, THERE'S REALLYNO SENSE OF URGENCY.

SOURCE:BLACK AND MISSING ZOOMINTERVIEW THNE EWS THREE I-TEAM TOOK A CLOSER LOOK ATLAWS FOR MISSING CASES.

INVIRGINIA THERE'S NO WAITINGPERIOD TO REPORT SOMEONEMISSING.AND THOSE REPORTSMUST BE SHARED WITH STATE ANDNATIONAL DATABASES WITHIN TWOHOURS.

AND THEN -- IT'S UP TOEACH LOCAL LAW ENFORECEMENTAGENCY TO DECIDE HOW FAR THEYGO TO INVESTIGATE EACH CASE.WE COMBED THROUGH THEDIFFERENT POLICIES FOR THESEVEN CITIES.

SUFFOLK'S POLICYTHE ONLY THAT SEEMS TOADDRESS POTENTIAL BIAS URGESTHEIR OFFICERS " BECAUTIOUS IN'LABELING'" CASES ADDINGTHAT"E VEN IF FIRST INDICATIONSUGGESTS A 'LESS URGENT'INCIDENT, OFFICERS SHOULDCONSIDER ALL POSSIBILITIESUNTIL THE CASE CATEGORY ISCLEARLY DETERMINED." SO THEJUDGEMENT CALL OF WHO'S DEEMEDIN DANGER LIES IN LAWENFORCEMENT'S HANDSIMPACTING WHICH CASES THEYSHARE WITH NEWS ORGANIZATIONSALLOWING SOME NAMES ANDFACES TO FALL THROUGH THECRACKS.

16:18 FAMILIES AREHAVING TO HIRE PRIVATEINVESTIGATORS THEY'RE HAVINGTO COORDINATE THEIR OWN SEARCHTEAMS 16:31 THEY'RE HAVING TOCREATE THEIR OWN FLYERSBEACUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT'S NOTCREATING THEM& S THAT'S WHERETHE BLACK AND MISSINGFOUNDATION HELPS BRIDGE THEGAP.

THEY'VE HELPED BRINGCLOSURE TO 400 FAMILIESPRESSING LAW ENFORCEMENT ANDJOURNALISTS TO DEVOTE MORERESOURCES AND AIR TIME TO TOBLACK AND BROWN FACES 11:54IT RALLEY TAKES ALL OF US, ITTAKES ALL OF US TO HELP USFIND US.

SO THE FAMILIES OFPEOPL ELIKE KIER AND CHLOEJOHNSON HAVE A CHANCE ATBRINGING THEM HOME.

04-12 IWANT THEM BACK SO ANYTNGHI YOUALL CAN DO AND HELP ME INANYWAY PLEASE DOTHIS DISPARITY IS A PROBLEMTHAT'S CAUSING US TO TAKEACTION HERE AT NEWS THREE.THAT'S WHY WE'RE LAUNCHINGO URINITIATIVE "HAVE YOU SEEN ME".WE'RE MAKING AN EFFORT TOHIGHLIGHTING MISSING PEROSNSCASES WHETHER IT'S A CHILD,AN ADULT AND EVEN RUNAWAYS.AND THIS IS REGARDLESS OFWHETHER LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUESAMBER ALERTS.

LET'S TALK ABOUTTHOSE ALERTS.

WHAT'S THECRITERIA?

AMBER ALERTS ARE FORCHILDREN UNDER 17 WHO AREABDUCTED AND IN DANGER.

ANDTHEN THERE'S THE ASHANTIALTERT.IT'S NAMED IN HONOR OF ASHANTIBILLIE WHO WAS ABDUCTED INVIRGINIA BEACH IN 2017 ANDFOUND MURDERED.

IT'S AVOLUNTARY LEART FOR MISSINGADULTS AGES 18 TO 64 WHLAO WENFORCEMENT CONSIDER INDANGER.

BUT AGAIN IT'SSUBJECTIVE.

WE KNOW MEDIACOVERAGE CAN HELP LEVEL THEPLAYING FIELD THE BLACK ANDMISSING FOUNDATION TALKEDABOUT.JESSICA, YOU'RE ALSO TAKING ACLOSER LOOK AT MISSINGCHILDREN THIS WEEK.

YES, ONWEDNESDAY MORNING, WE'REINVESTIGATING THE GUIDELINESFOR MISSING CHILDREN,ESPECIALLY RUNAWAYS.

WE'LLEXPLAIN WHY THOSE CASES --EVEN IF THEY'RE VERY YOUNG --DON'T ALWAYS GET A BIGRESPONSE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENTOR NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD ... ATROOPER IS ON LEAVE AND POLICE