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Richmond police credit dispatchers and officers after two missing‑person searches end safely
Summary
The police chief described two recent missing‑person incidents: a 16‑year‑old located in Plymouth, Mass., and an adult found during local searches; he credited dispatchers, patrol and detectives for exhaustive multi‑agency work that led to safe recoveries.
Richmond’s police chief told the council that recent multi‑agency investigations and exhaustive dispatcher work led to the safe recovery of two people reported missing in separate incidents.
In the first case, a 16‑year‑old who left home late at night was located in Plymouth, Massachusetts about six hours after a report when investigators combined cell‑phone data, social‑media checks and cooperative leads. The chief credited dispatcher Crystal Marchetti, Sergeant Jeff Wan and detectives and patrol officers — including Detective Bishop, Patrolman Andy Brydie and SRO Mike Ellis — for their coordinated work.
In the second incident, police responded to a report that an adult may have been attempting self‑harm. The department conducted an extensive search that included house and wooded‑area sweeps, thermal‑imaging assistance from the Fire Department and a state police K‑9. Lieutenant Arnold located the missing person in the roadway and responders transported the person to the hospital; officers and dispatchers on multiple shifts were singled out for their rapid response and thorough follow‑up.
The chief stressed the difficulty of locating people who do not want to be found and praised staff for following investigative ‘by the numbers’ protocols, coordinating with neighboring agencies and using social media and technological leads when appropriate.
Next steps: The department will follow up with families as needed and continue close coordination among dispatch, patrol, detectives and regional partners.
