RICHMOND — Virginia State Police on Wednesday addressed multiple social media posts it said have been raising concerns about missing children across the commonwealth.
VSP stressed it is not currently investigating any reports of mass child abductions in Virginia, nor is there evidence of mass abductions occurring in the commonwealth.
VSP notes it oversees the Virginia Missing Children Clearinghouse, in addition to the CODI and Amber alert programs, and said a current list of all missing children in Virginia is located online.
VSP said Virginia has reported more missing children than other states on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Kids website because it forwards every missing child case to NCMEC so they can all be reviewed in one location. While many other clearinghouses post their cases to their own website, VSP explains that in Virginia, the MCC uses NCMEC as its clearinghouse site. According to NCMEC, Virginia is the most proactive in sending cases to its website.
VSP added nearly all missing children are investigated at the local level. When a child under the age of 21 goes missing, investigating agencies have two hours to report it to Virginia State Police. If the agency believes it rises to the level of a CODI or Amber Alert, the agency makes the request.
The criteria for the activation of a CODI alert:
Each law enforcement agency shall verify the disappearance and eliminate alternative explanations. Information must be established to meet the definition of a missing or endangered child. Sufficient information must be available to disseminate to the public to assist in locating the missing child, including a vehicle if there is one, in order to activate the alert. Elements for a missing or endangered child:
- Any person 17 years of age or younger, or currently enrolled in a secondary school in the commonwealth.
- The child’s whereabouts are unknown.
- The child’s disappearance is under suspicious circumstances or poses a credible threat as determined by law enforcement to the safety and health of the child.
- Based on any other circumstances as deemed appropriate by the Virginia State Police.
The criteria for the activation of an AMBER Alert Plan:
- The abducted child must be 17 years of age or younger or currently enrolled in a secondary school in the commonwealth, regardless of age, and the reporting law enforcement agency believes the child has been abducted (unwillingly taken from their environment without permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian).
- The law enforcement agency believes the missing child is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
- A law enforcement investigation has taken place that verified the abduction or eliminated alternative explanations.
- Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the child, suspect, and/or the suspect’s vehicle.
- The child must be entered into the Virginia Criminal Information Network and the National Crime Information Center missing person files as soon as practical.
If all of the criteria are not met, the Virginia AMBER Alert Plan will not be activated.
VSP notes 88 children were reported missing to the MCC Aug. 3-9, and since January, a total of 3,274 children have been reported missing to the MCC. Of these, 141 were still missing — or approximately 4%— as of Wednesday. The agency has issued a total of 25 CODI Alerts two Amber Alerts in 2025 to date. All were found.
Virginia State Police encourages having children practice making 9-1-1 calls from both a cell phone and a landline; making sure your child knows not to accept rides from strangers and not to trust a stranger who suggests they go off alone together for any reason; telling children to let you know immediately if another adult suggests keeping secrets from you; and never leave your child alone in the car.
More information can also be located at the Missing Children Clearinghouse – Virginia State Police. Anyone with information on a missing child can contact 804-674-2000 or 804-674-2026 after business hours or email VAMissing@vsp.virginia.gov
