In light of recent events, the topic of missing person incidents have been on many people’s minds.

To that end, Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn says runaway and abduction cases are taken very seriously by he and his officers. “We have a process at the Perry Police Department where when we take that initial report, that initial investigating officer is going to investigate and try to locate that missing person right away, and then that information through this form is passed on to the next shift and the next shift. So we really make sure that we’re making every effort we can in that first 24 hours to locate that person.”

Vaughn adds, it’s important for parents to provide specific information about their child, including things like who their friends are or spots around town they frequent. As to preventing abductions and people keeping themselves safe when out walking, Vaughn says the first key is to always be aware of your surroundings. He also says it’s important to walk with someone whenever you can. Finally, while he advises people to not have their eyes buried in their cell phones while out walking, it’s a good idea to have it out and ready to use if need be.

To hear more from Vaughn, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.