Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison says department will meet weekly on missing persons cases

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison on Monday announced a new initiative to help police solve or generate leads in 65 missing persons cases.

“There is nothing more gut-wrenching to a family that doesn’t know the whereabouts of a loved one,” Harrison said at a news conference at Suffolk's Sixth Precinct in Selden.

To assure the families and the public that the SCPD is taking the cases seriously, Harrison said that Deputy Inspector Sean Beran has been tasked with overseeing all of the missing persons cases. He will meet with precinct commanders at least once a week to make sure the police are handling cases of the missing appropriately, the commissioner said.

Harrison noted that his department, because of staffing constraints, doesn't have a missing persons squad like the NYPD, his former employer.

The commissioner said that the vast majority of SCPD cases involve people who voluntarily go missing, and that only one in recent years involved foul play.

Harrison was speaking from personal experience. He told reporters that one of his own family members, he wouldn’t say who, had gone missing in recent years and had finally been reunited with the family.

Harrison didn’t enumerate all of the cases but did note in particular the most recent involving a boy from Farmingville who left his family overnight and was possibly attempting to go to the Bronx by bicycle to start a musical career.

“Sometimes missing persons leave on their own accord and that does not mean we are not going to investigate these cases as serious as possible,” stressed Harrison.

“We are also going to involve our behavioral health unit to be a lot more involved in working missing persons cases,” Harrison said.

To extend potential avenues of information and possible leads, Harrison also announced that various police “community ambassadors” would go to different locations in Suffolk to pass out flyers about missing persons cases. The department also will look to use social media more.

“They are the eyes and ears of the department,” Harrison said of the community ambassadors. 

"I tell the communities, especially, that no tip would be too small," said community ambassador Gail Bailey of Middle Island. "We say that for crime, but what could be more important than reuniting a missing person with their aggrieved family? Any information that anyone has — please contact us, the police, contact the media."

Immediately after the news conference, a group of the civilian ambassadors went with Harrison to hand out flyers and talk to shoppers in front of the Lidl Food Market across from precinct headquarters.

One the flyers Harrison showed to reporters was related to the case of Michelle Ghosh, who was last seen leaving Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson in February 2016, a case that detectives are pursuing. Ghosh, who had a history of depression, was 43 she was last seen, police officials said.

Federal officials who keep a national database of missing persons cases said Suffolk has 113 active cases. Harrison explained that such a number includes other police departments in the county in addition to the SCPD.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.