Phoenix police are asking the public for help finding 13-year-old Kem Arion McKinney, who was last seen Feb. 12, 2026.
The appeal came in a Phoenix Police
social media post Wednesday and asked anyone with information to call 602-262-6151 rather than respond through comments or direct messages. The department made clear that its social media accounts are not monitored around the clock, meaning tips sent that way may not reach investigators in time to help.
Why These Notices Keep Appearing
Phoenix Police have issued a string of similar public appeals for missing juveniles in recent days, and that pattern traces back to a change in state law. Arizona Senate Bill 1416, signed in June 2026 and in effect since September 12, now requires law enforcement agencies statewide to post missing child flyers on official social media within 24 hours of a report, according to Grand Canyon Times. Lawmakers pushed for the mandate after data showed roughly 70 percent of missing children in Arizona's public databases lacked a photograph, as reported by KTAR News.
The same law requires agencies to enter missing juvenile records into the Arizona Crime Information Center and the FBI's National Crime Information Center within two hours of receiving a complete report. It also strictly prohibits agencies from using the word “runaway” in public-facing media or alerts.
Scale of the Caseload
A Phoenix Police spokesperson told KTAR that the department fields approximately 200 missing juvenile reports every month, underscoring why these public bulletins have become routine rather than rare. The Phoenix Police Department's Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit has also clarified that these social media notices are distinct from statewide emergency broadcasts: AMBER Alerts are reserved strictly for confirmed child abductions where a child faces imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death, and are not issued for runaways or routine missing-child cases.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides resources for missing-child cases, while McKinney's individual case remains open in Phoenix.
Anyone who has seen Kem Arion McKinney or has information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Phoenix Police Department directly at 602-262-6151 rather than through social media.
