Cincinnati police posted on X.
Ohio missing-child reports
Ohio recorded 15,367 reports involving missing children under 18 in 2025, 1,037 fewer than the previous year, according to the Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse’s annual report.
A separate figure reported by Richland Source, based on the Ohio Attorney General’s 2025 report, counts 7,656 runaway cases involving children who left home without permission.
Reporting guidance
Ohio Department of Children and Youth guidance says a missing youth in foster care or under child-welfare supervision should be reported to local police and the Public Children Services Agency or caseworker. It says police enter the youth’s information into the National Crime Information Center and also lists contacting the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as a step for missing or AWOL youth. The guidance describes statewide steps; it does not establish which actions were taken in Smith’s case.
The Clearinghouse’s 2025 report says Ohio law requires law enforcement to take missing-child reports and investigate them promptly, making a concerted effort to locate the child. The report describes a statewide requirement, not the progress or outcome of this particular search.
The police notice does not say whether Smith has since been located or provide a current search update. It lists the case as assigned to Detective Hert of District 1, at 513-352-3505.
