Missing Persons Policy

If a member of the University community has reason to believe that a student who resides in on-campus housing is missing, he or she should immediately notify the University of Southern Mississippi Police Department at 601.266.4986. UPD will generate a missing person report and initiate an investigation.

After investigation the missing person report, UPD will notify the student’s emergency contact, or confidentially identified individual, immediately after the student is determined to be missing. If the missing student is under the age of 18 and is not an emancipated individual, UPD will notify the student’s parents or legal guardian immediately after USM Police has determined the student is missing. UPD will inform local and surrounding law enforcement agencies immediately of any missing student determined to be missing.

In addition, to registering an emergency contact, students residing in on-campus housing have the option to identify, confidentially, and individual to be contacted by Southern Miss in the event the student is determined to be missing. The confidential contact should be someone who will be likely to know your location and you wish contacted if you are missing. Students who wish to identify a confidential contact can do so by completing the Missing Person Contact Information on the Resident Student Data Card. This confidential contact information will be accessible only to authorized campus officials and law enforcement officers and it will not be disclosed outside of a missing person investigation.  For more information go Institutional Missing Persons policy