Crime & Safety

Is a Missing Person Really Missing?

This is the first in a series of articles that will take a look at some of those mysterious, often vague terms used in the Marlborough police log.

Editor's Note: Due to the Columbus Day holiday, there will be no police log today. Check back tomorrow midday for the Oct. 7-10 log. 

Several times a week on average readers will see an item in the Marlborough police log that they might not understand completely. This is often due to a single term covering a small range of incidents. This week we take a look at "missing persons."

"It could mean a few things," said Detective Martha Shea, of the . "But the majority of them represent parents reporting runaway children. 

Find out what's happening in Marlboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That statement is not meant to diminish the serious nature of these reports, however, as sometimes these reports do represent the beginning of an actual missing persons case, said Shea. 

Beside runaway children a missing person could represent the need to find an individual who may be endangered if not found due to a medical condition, a handicap, Alzheimer's, mental heath issues, suicide threats, or even a concern that a person in question may be committing illegal acts. 

Find out what's happening in Marlboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Marlborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.