Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Calera officials praise detectives and dispatchers as search continues for three missing people
Summary
At a council meeting, the police chief detailed three recent missing-person investigations since May 15, thanked detectives and dispatchers for extended search work, and warned that legal limits restrict some investigative tools for adults compared with juveniles.
At the Calera City Council meeting, Chief Kendrick briefed council members on three recent missing-person investigations that began around May 15 and praised detectives and dispatch staff for intensive search work.
"They went to work'they worked 17 straight days without a day off," Chief Kendrick said, singling out Lieutenant Grant, Sergeant Bors, Detective Breach and Detective Littleton and commending dispatchers Luke White, Libby Ziggler and supervisor Jesse Davis for analytical work "way above their pay grade." He added the department remains actively recruiting to replace two retiring school resource officers and other vacancies.
The chief emphasized limits on investigatory actions depending on the subject's status. He said responses differ when the missing person is a juvenile versus an adult and that some actions (for example, targeting a private phone without legal basis) cannot be undertaken for adults absent legal authority.
Council members pressed for additional support and transparency. One council member thanked the detectives for the hours away from family and noted the volume of leads reviewed was "in the hundreds," though most did not pan out. Officials said they remain in contact with the families and will continue the investigations.
The chief also clarified that, while the three missing-person cases occurred near one another in time, there was no confirmed connection among them and each case is being handled according to its facts. He noted the department receives wider attention because of its public communications and said the team would keep pursuing leads.
Council did not take formal action beyond discussion; the search and investigation remain ongoing. The council meeting record shows the chief also asked members to recognize the staff's additional duties and heavy workload while recruiting replacements.
