The National Crime Information Center's (NCIC's) Missing Person File was implemented in 1975. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely, until the individual is located, or the record is canceled by the entering agency. The Missing Person File contains records for missing who

• have a proven physical or mental disability (Disability - EMD),
• are missing under circumstances indicating that they may be in physical danger (Endangered - EME),
• are missing after a catastrophe (Catastrophe Victim - EMV),
• are missing under circumstances indicating their disappearance may not have been voluntary
  (Involuntary - EMI),
• are under the age of 21 and do not meet the above criteria (Juvenile - EMJ), or
• are 21 and older and do not meet any of the above criteria but for whom there is a reasonable concern for their safety (Other - EMO).

As of December 31, 2006, there were 110,484 active missing person records in the NCIC. Juveniles under the age of 18 account for 58,763 (53.18 %) of the records and 12,657 (11.46 %) were for juveniles between the ages of 18 and 20. *

During 2006, 836,131 missing person records were entered into the NCIC, an increase of 0.19 % from the 834,536 entered in 2005. Missing Person records cleared or canceled during the same period totaled 851,940. Reasons for these removals include: a law enforcement agency located the subject, the individual returned home, or the record had to be removed by the entering agency due to a determination that the record is invalid.

To read the full article and see detailed statistics about Missing Persons cases in the United States, please visit the FBI website.