What to know before submitting a missing person report

Emergency? Call 911 first.

Cefa Tribal Affairs is a community platform — it does not replace law enforcement. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If local law enforcement is unresponsive, contact the BIA Office of Justice Services at 833-560-2065.

Who Can Submit a Report

A family member or legal guardian of the missing person
A designated family advocate with family consent
Tribal government officials for community members
Law enforcement officers (via the LE portal)

Submitting a false or malicious report is a violation of our Community Standards and may result in permanent account suspension. Deliberately false reports about real individuals may also be subject to legal consequences.

What Information Is Public

Always public

First name and last initial (or family-approved full name)
General last-seen location (city/region)
Photo (family-approved)
Physical description
Case status updates (with family consent)

Private — visible to LE only

Exact last-seen address
Vehicle license plate
Date of birth
Minor's full name
Precise GPS coordinates

Private — family only

Reporter contact information
Family home address (never shared)
Medical information
Family statement (unless family approves public)

About Submitting Tips

Anyone can submit a tip about a missing person case. Tips are encrypted and forwarded to the assigned law enforcement agency. They are never publicly visible.

Do not publicly name suspects

Naming or accusing individuals in tip submissions or public comments can jeopardize law enforcement investigations, endanger informants, and expose you to legal liability. Provide information to investigators — let them determine guilt.

Special Protections for Minors

For missing persons under 18, Cefa Tribal Affairs applies additional privacy protections:

Full name requires explicit family consent to display publicly
School, home address, and daily routine information is never published
Profile photos showing school uniforms or identifiable locations are removed
Age is displayed as a range (e.g., 14–16) if family requests
NCMEC is automatically notified for all minor cases submitted

How Reports Are Reviewed

All submitted reports are reviewed by our moderation team before being published. Review typically takes 24–48 hours. We check:

Submission is not a duplicate of an existing case
No identifying information violates minor protections
Photos are appropriate and do not expose sensitive context
Contact details for LE are valid (if provided)
No suspect accusations are included in the public description