West York Borough Police are asking for the public's help finding Chuckisha Maxfield, a 40-year-old woman who was last seen on July 5. Anyone who spots her is urged to call 911 immediately, while anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the department directly.
According to Newport Dispatch, Maxfield was born on October 4, 1985, and police say she was last seen in West York, Pennsylvania on July 5. The West York Borough Police Department has named Detective Mendez as the lead investigator on the case, and residents with tips can reach him at [email protected] or by calling 717-854-1975, per public notices posted by the department.
A Weeks-Long Gap Before the Public Alert
Public notices from West York Borough Police indicate Maxfield's July 5 last-known sighting came roughly 50 days before the department's public bulletin went out this week. What happened in the time between remains an open question — specifically when officers first received a report on Maxfield and when they decided to seek public assistance is not detailed in the department's public materials. Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies face no mandatory waiting period before opening a missing person investigation, according to Swarthmore College's Department of Public Safety, which notes that officers assess risk factors as soon as a report comes in.
Once a report is filed, Pennsylvania agencies typically enter the missing person's information into the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network as well as the FBI's National Crime Information Center, a process explained by PAlegis.us. Those databases link local police records to national systems, allowing agencies across state lines to be alerted if new information surfaces.
Small Department Covering a Small Borough
West York Borough spans roughly 0.53 square miles in York County and had a population of 5,094 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, according to Wikipedia, with the borough directly bordering the larger City of York. The department itself, headquartered at 1381 W. Poplar Street, is staffed by 15 sworn officers who provide round-the-clock patrol and investigative coverage for the borough, per crimewatch.net's listing for the agency, which traces its founding back to 1917.
That same department has handled other missing person cases in recent months. During July and August, West York Borough Police investigated and cleared separate cases involving 12-year-old Milah Alvarado and 15-year-old Alivia Gerena, both of whom were located not long after initial public alerts went out, according to the department's own postings.
Family Ties and a Broader Pattern
A July 2021 obituary published in The Daily Item lists Chuckisha Maxfield as one of six surviving siblings of Amichae Joi Young, who died in Pennsylvania at age 40, establishing family roots that extend across regional Pennsylvania communities.
Maxfield's case also surfaces amid a well-documented national disparity. FBI NCIC data reported by the U.S. Office of Justice Programs shows that more than 97,000 Black women and girls were reported missing nationwide in 2022, accounting for 36% of all female missing person cases even though Black females make up roughly 14% of the U.S. female population. That context does not resolve any specifics of Maxfield's case, but it underscores why advocates say cases like hers deserve sustained public attention.
Anyone with information on Chuckisha Maxfield's whereabouts is asked to contact West York Borough Police Department, and anyone who locates her should call 911 right away.
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