Missing Student Notification-For Campus Housing Residents Only

In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act, LSCPA must develop and implement certain procedures to be followed when residential students are determined to be missing for 24 hours. Students residing in campus housing will be informed annually that each student has the option to identify a person designated as a confidential missing person contact to be notified by LSCPA no later than 24 hours after the time the student is determined to be missing by the designated College officials authorized to make that determination (specifically, the Campus Security Office or the local law enforcement agency in which the student went missing. Each student resident will receive a QR code and link to the Missing Person Confidential Contact Form in order to identify a confidential contact person. Students will be informed that this information will be accessible only by the Dean of Student Services and Director of Campus Safety and Security.

Suspected missing students should be reported immediately to the Campus Security Office. When student residents are determined to be missing for 24 hours (i.e., no one can identify where they are), The Dean of Student Services or Director of Campus Safety will notify the student’s missing person confidential contact no later than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing. LSCPA reports this to the Port Arthur Police Department. The confidential contact will only be disclosed to law enforcement personnel only for the purpose of a missing student investigation.  If a member of the LSCPA community has reason to believe that a student who resides in campus housing is missing, that information should be reported immediately to the Campus Security Office at 409-984-6255 or the Dean of Student Services at 409-984-6156.

If the missing student is under the age of 18 and is not emancipated, LSCPA will also notify that student’s custodial parent or legal guardian within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, in addition to notifying any additional contact person designated by the student. For all missing students, LSCPA will notify the local law enforcement agency within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, unless the local law enforcement agency was the entity that made the determination that the student is missing.

Time is of the essence when a person is missing. The National Child Search Assistance Act now allows police to report missing persons under 21 years of age to the National Crime Information Center and begin an investigation as soon as a missing person report is received. If you receive reliable information that a student cannot be located, please contact the Campus Security Office immediately at 409-984-6255.

Missing Student Procedures

All concerns regarding a resident student’s unexplained absence or lack of contact that is contrary to the student’s normal behavior and/or is unusual based on existing circumstances will be immediately investigated in an attempt to locate the student and confirm their safety.

An official Missing Person Report will be prepared any time a resident student is determined to have been missing for more than 24 hours.

If the student has not been located and their safety confirmed, the following procedures will be followed:

1. Notify the contact person within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing.
2. If the student is under 18 years of age and is not emancipated, notify the student’s custodial parent or guardian and any other designated contact person within 24 hours.
3. Regardless of whether the student has identified a contact person, is above the age of 18, or is an emancipated minor, LSCPA will contact the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction in the area that the student is missing within 24 hours.