Illinois Code § 6

§ 6.

The Illinois State Police shall: (a) Utilize the statewide Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) for the purpose of effecting an immediate law enforcement response to reports of missing children. The Illinois State Police shall implement an automated data exchange system to compile, to maintain, and to make available for dissemination to Illinois and out-of-State law enforcement agencies data which can assist appropriate agencies in recovering missing children. (b) Establish contacts and exchange information regarding lost, missing, or runaway children with nationally recognized "missing person and runaway" service organizations and monitor national research and publicize important developments. (c) Provide a uniform reporting format for the entry of pertinent information regarding reports of missing children into LEADS. (d) Develop and implement a policy whereby a statewide or regional alert would be used in situations relating to the disappearances of children, based on criteria and in a format established by the Illinois State Police. Such a format shall include, but not be limited to, the age and physical description of the missing child and the suspected circumstances of the disappearance. (e) Notify all law enforcement agencies that reports of missing persons shall be entered as soon as the minimum level of data specified by the Illinois State Police is available to the reporting agency and that no waiting period for entry of such data exists. (f) Provide a procedure for prompt confirmation of the receipt and entry of the missing child report into LEADS to the parent or guardian of the missing child. (g) Compile and retain information regarding missing children in a separate data file, in a manner that allows such information to be used by law enforcement and other agencies deemed appropriate by the Director, for investigative purposes. Such files shall be updated to reflect and include information relating to the disposition of the case. (h) Compile and maintain a historic data repository relating to missing children in order (1) to develop and improve techniques utilized by law enforcement agencies when responding to reports of missing children and (2) to provide a factual and statistical base for research that would address the problem of missing children. (i) Create a quality control program to assess the timeliness of entries of missing children reports into LEADS and conduct performance audits of all entering agencies. (j) Prepare a periodic information bulletin concerning missing children who it determines may be present in this State, compiling such bulletin from information contained in both the National Crime Information Center computer and from reports, alerts, and other information entered into LEADS or otherwise compiled and retained by the Illinois State Police pursuant to this Act. The bulletin shall indicate the name, age, physical description, suspected circumstances of disappearance if that information is available, a photograph if one is available, the name of the law enforcement agency investigating the case, and such other information as the Director considers appropriate concerning each missing child who the Illinois State Police determines may be present in this State. The Illinois State Police shall send a copy of each periodic information bulletin to the State Board of Education for its use in accordance with Section 2-3.48 of the School Code. The Illinois State Police shall provide a copy of the bulletin, upon request, to law enforcement agencies of this or any other state or of the federal government, and may provide a copy of the bulletin, upon request, to other persons or entities, if deemed appropriate by the Director, and may establish limitations on its use and a reasonable fee for so providing the same, except that no fee shall be charged for providing the periodic information bulletin to the State Board of Education, appropriate units of local government, State agencies, or law enforcement agencies of this or any other state or of the federal government. (k) Provide for the entry into LEADS of the names and addresses of sex offenders as defined in the Sex Offender Registration Act who are required to register under that Act. The information shall be immediately accessible to law enforcement agencies and peace officers of this State or any other state or of the federal government. Similar information may be requested from any other state or of the federal government for purposes of this Act. (l) Provide for the entry into LEADS of the names and addresses of violent offenders against youth as defined in the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act who are required to register under that Act. The information shall be immediately accessible to law enforcement agencies and peace officers of this State or any other state or of the federal government. Similar information may be requested from any other state or of the federal government for purposes of this Act. (Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 103-34, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)