Police to KODE: No unusual problem with missing people in Joplin

Joplin is not having an epidemic of missing people, according to the Joplin Police Department.

Though the continued social media focus on some who remain missing has created that concept, Capt. Trevor Duncan told KODE reporter Austin Hyslip that the city is not having any unusual problem with missing people.

"I think the public perception of human trafficking is not realistic to our area," Duncan said. "We're not seeing any trends in abductions."

Hyslip's report included an interview with Lynn Hamon, who has kept the public's attention focused on Joplin's missing people on her Facebook page. Hamon says there is a problem and that the Joplin Police Department does not have the manpower to handle it.



JPD statistics show 71 people reported missing this year, with five of those people still not found. One hundred twenty-three runaways have been reported.

The report mentioned four of those five people- Sarah Burton, Tracy Pickett, Shawn Gallagher and Sandra Spoon.