Phoenix Police are asking the public to help locate a missing juvenile.
The appeal was posted Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 4:04 p.m. by Phoenix Police
The department is asking anyone who has seen the juvenile or has information about where the child might be to call police directly rather than relying on social media.
That instruction matters because Phoenix Police have made clear that comments and direct messages sent through their social accounts are not monitored around the clock, and tipsters should instead phone in leads to non-emergency dispatch at 602-262-6151 or call 911 for anything urgent, according to Hoodline's prior reporting on the department's public-assistance protocols.
Why These Appeals Have Become More Frequent
The appeal is one of several missing-juvenile bulletins Phoenix Police have issued in recent weeks, a pattern tied directly to a change in state law rather than any sudden surge in cases. Arizona Senate Bill 1416, which amended Arizona Revised Statutes § 8-901 and took effect on September 12, now requires law enforcement agencies statewide to publish missing-child flyers on official social media and notify local news outlets within 24 hours of a report, according to the Arizona Legislature.
The same statute sets strict internal deadlines as well. Police departments must enter missing child information into state and national crime databases within two hours and transmit photos and descriptions to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children within 24 hours, per ClearStatute's breakdown of the law. Those entries are required to stay active until a child is found or a case is formally closed.
The Phoenix Police appeal describes the person as a missing juvenile.
A Separate Statewide Alert System Exists for the Most Urgent Cases
Arizona also operates the Turquoise Alert, created under Emily's Law and launched in July 2025, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says it achieved a 90 percent recovery rate and that runaway incidents make up the overwhelming majority of missing-child cases.
Anyone with information about the missing juvenile's whereabouts is asked to call Phoenix Police at 602-262-6151.
