•August 19, 2015•

By Nick Fiala
Reporting in Sullivan

With a law-enforcement career spanning more than 30 years, Sullivan police chief John Love has handled several missing person cases. He indicated time is something that can be either the biggest help or hinderance in such a case, depending on how it is handled.

“Please, please call us immediately,” Chief Love urged. “Don’t take the chance.”

The chief stressed the need to recognize how precious time is when a child, for example, goes missing.

“We’ve had numerous incidents where we are called, and the first thing I do when I get there is say ‘Well, how long has the child been gone?’” he said. “I have had situations where children come home with stuff, almost like gifts...and when asked where they got it, they say a person gave it to them, but they didn’t know who the person was...My fear is that...someone [could] abduct a child and have an hour-and-a-half long start on us...I don’t want to scare anybody, but...It could happen here.”

Chief Love knows the fear of being too late to secure a loved one’s location. He shared a story of how an ordinary day shopping with his daughter became one he won’t forget.
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