{"data":{"id":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-52-17b-216","jurisdiction":"us-nj","citation":"N.J. Stat. § 52:17B-216","heading":"Determination of designation as high-risk missing person.","body":"5. a. (1) Upon the initial receipt of a missing person report, a law enforcement agency shall seek to determine whether the person reported missing is to be designated a high-risk missing person.\n(2) If a law enforcement agency has reason to believe that a person reported missing is a high-risk missing person pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2007, c.279 (C.52:17B-212), the agency shall contact the appropriate county prosecutor who shall determine whether the person reported missing is a high-risk missing person.  If the prosecutor determines that the person is a high-risk missing person, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the person is missing as a result of, or in association with, criminal activity, and the Missing Persons Unit may seek or obtain legal process pursuant to subsection h. of section 3 of P.L.1983, c.467 (C.52:17B-9.8).\nIf the Missing Persons Unit discovers evidence during the investigation which indicates that the missing person does not meet the definition of a high-risk missing person, there shall no longer be a rebuttable presumption that the person is missing as a result of, or in association with, criminal activity, and the Missing Persons Unit shall not seek or obtain legal process pursuant to subsection h. of section 3 of P.L.1983, c.467 (C.52:17B-9.8).\nThe Superior Court, Law Division may release any records that are obtained by the Missing Persons Unit to a governmental entity upon showing of good cause by the governmental entity.\nb.\tIf the initial determination of a person reported missing does not warrant designation of that person as high risk, it shall not preclude a later determination, based on further investigation or the discovery of additional information, that the missing person is high risk.\nL.2007, c.279, s.5; amended 2023, c.59, s.2.","path":["TITLE 52 STATE GOVERNMENT, DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICERS"],"source_url":"https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/statutes/STATUTES-TEXT.zip","current_through":"P.L.2025, c.405, and J.R.22","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:54:13Z","sha256":"bd31b9d0707b5f8b3886fd70a4c43e45efaf9725fff73aca2665558e35cc3dc6","source_id":"us-nj","stale":true,"prev":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-52-17b-215","next":"us-nj/n.j.-stat.-52-17b-217"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}