FBI as a Resource
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is one of the resources available to your local law enforcement agency during the investigation of both Non-Family and Family Child Abductions.
In a Non-Family Child Abduction, the first few hours are the most critical to the successful recovery of the child. The investigating agency must have a pre-planned response and use every resource available during that critical time. The FBI can provide your agency with a copy of the FBI's Child Abduction Response Plan (CARP) to assist your agency in developing a pre-planned response. The FBI's CARP provides a guide to the investigative phases of a Non-Family Child Abduction, including Initial Responders, Neighborhood Canvassing, Victimology, Subject(s), Crime Scene(s), Command Post, Case Management, Media Strategy, and Technical Support. Also included in the CARP are Interview Strategies, Standardized Questions to be used for the Neighborhood Canvassing, Road Blocks, and General Assessment, and a list of additional resources provided by the FBI. As the investigative phases of a Non-Family Abduction can overwhelm any agencies' resources, the FBI can provide the particular resources needed by your agency. The FBI resources that are available include Special Agents to assist in Interviews, Neighborhood Canvassing, Road Blocks, Evidence Response Team (ERT), Computer Analysis Response Team (CART), Profilers from the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), Polygraph Examiners, Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) for the victim's residence, Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Team, Special Operations Group (SOG) for surveillances, and Technically Trained Agents to assist in obtaining Cellular Tracking, Pen Register/Trap & Trace/Title III, Tele Track for vehicles, Pole Cameras, etc. In addition, to the resources of the FBI Field Office in your area, the FBI can utilize the resources of all 56 FBI Field Offices located throughout the United States, and the FBI's Legal Attaches assigned to approximately 60 offices internationally that cover approximately 200 countries.
During an investigation of Family Child Abductions, the FBI can assist your agency when the subject and victim travel either Interstate or Internationally, and any case where the child is at risk.
In Family Child Abduction cases where the subject and victim travel Interstate, the FBI can assist your agency through the Unlawful Flight To Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) process (see Title 18 Section 1073). In order to obtain an UFAP warrant, the FBI needs 1) a State felony warrant which authorizes extradition, 2) a letter from the District Attorney's Office requesting the FBI to obtain an UFAP warrant, and 3) Probable Cause that the subject has fled the state of California. The FBI can utilize the resources of all 56 FBI Field Offices located throughout the United States to assist your agency when the subject and victim travel Interstate.
In Family Child Abduction cases where the subject and victim travel Internationally, the FBI has concurrent jurisdiction to investigate through the International Parental Kidnapping Act (see Title 18 Section 1204). FBI agents, known as Legal Attaches, assigned to approximately 60 offices internationally that cover approximately 200 countries, can assist your agency when the subject and victim travel Internationally.
Contact the FBI Field Office in your area to utilize the FBI resources to assist your agency prepare and respond to Non-Family and Family Child Abductions.
Sample forms and additional resources are available through your local FBI office, on this document, and online by visiting the LEEP website.
