State, local law enforcement offer safety tips

KINGSPORT — As conversation continues about missing person cases in the Kingsport area, here are some tips for reporting those instances and staying self-aware.Law enforcement safety tipsThe Times News previously reached out to TBI, the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, the Kingsport Police Department and Hawkins County Sheriff's Office for safety tips.Below is a list of combined tips the agencies recommended.• Don't be out late by yourself.• Be aware of your surroundings.• Don't flash money.• Be cautious during the day, as well. Pay attention to everyone around you.• Park in a well-lit area.• Have your keys and cell phone out before walking to your vehicle. Lock your car as soon as you are inside.• Keep your purse or any other bags close to your body, never leaving them unattended.• Always let someone know where you are going.• Trust your instincts. If something doesn't seem right, there's a good chance it's not.• The minute you feel like you or someone else is in danger, call 911.What about missing persons?The TBI defines a missing person as "someone whose whereabouts is unknown to a parent, caretaker or others who have normal contact with the person," according to the agency's website. This could mean a child who left home on their own, anyone who has been involuntarily abducted or any individual who cannot return safely without assistance. TBI states there is no waiting period to report a person missing.TBI suggests taking the following steps if your child is missing:• Call your local law enforcement agency immediately.• Search in and around your property. Pay particular attention to spots your child may be inclined to hide, such as closets, basements, under beds or outbuildings.• Check with relatives, neighbors, and friends of your child. For older children, check all forms of communication used by your family to see if your child has provided information about a change in plans or updated schedule.(Source: https://www.tn.gov/tbi/tennessees-missing-children/tn-kidkit.html)National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenThe National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, also known as NCMEC, cites these steps to follow if your child is missing.• Immediately call your local law enforcement agency.• After reporting your child as missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).• If your child is missing, search through closets, piles of laundry, in and under beds, inside large appliances, vehicles (including trunks) and anywhere else a child could crawl or hide.• Notify a store manager or security officer your child cannot be found when in a store, then immediately call local law enforcement. Store may have a Code Adam plan of action in place.• When you call law enforcement, remember to provide them with your child's name, date of birth, height, weight and descriptions of any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses and braces. Tell them when you noticed your child was missing and what clothing he or she was wearing.• Request law enforcement authorities immediately enter your child's name and identifying information into the FBI's National Crime Information Center Missing Person File.(Source: https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/isyourchildmissing)Missing alerts and criteriaAMBER Alerts are reserved for the "most serious of missing children cases, in which law enforcement believes that a child is in imminent danger," according to the TBI website. The person must be 17 years of age or younger; in imminent danger of bodily injury or death; there is a description of the child, abductor or vehicle and on a request from another state for activation.The AMBER Alert System started in 1996 as a way to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. The acronym stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency response.Tennessee averages 500 to 600 missing children a month, many due to parental abduction or runaways. The TBI website states Tennessee averages around eight to nine AMBER Alerts a year.The state also uses the Endangered Child Alert and Missing Children List for children 17 years of age and younger. ECA's are reserved for missing children cases where there is a concern for the child's safety.An Endangered Young Adult Alert is used for missing adults, ages 18-24 when there is concern for the individual's safety.A Silver Alert issued for missing citizens who are recognized as a person who is reported missing at the age of 60 years of age or older, a person of any age who suffers from dementia or a person who is first reported missing who is 18 years of age or older who has an intellectual, developmental or physical disability, who is believed to be in danger because of the disability or is believed to be unable to return safely without assistance.Anyone with information on the Summer Wells case is encouraged to contact 1-800-TBI-FIND or TipsToTBI@tn.gov with tips.For those with information on Layla's whereabouts, contact the KPD Criminal Investigations Division at 423-229-9429 or Kingsport Central Dispatch at 423-246-9111.Anonymous tips can be made through KPD's website at https://www.kingsporttn.gov/city-services/police-department/contact-police/ by going to the "Anonymous Tip" tab.Anyone with information on Hollynn's whereabouts should contact the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office at 423-279-7330.Tip submissions for the SCSO can be made at https://www.scsotn.com/submitATip.