Sheriff Rahr Issues Statement Regarding Tanya Rider Case

“I have some positive news to report in the aftermath of Tanya Rider’s horrific accident. Certainly the first and most important is that she was found and is recovering.

Second, this case has prompted the Sheriff's Office to review with a critical eye how we handle missing persons cases in general and this case in particular. We have begun looking at our process from start to finish. Equally important, it has given us an opportunity to engage the public so they are more aware of the hurdles we have when investigating these cases.

Yes, we do have a screening process when someone calls 9-1-1 to report someone missing. In fact all 9-1-1 calls must be screened and prioritized to one extent or another. The reason behind our screening policy for missing person cases is threefold: (1) to expedite an investigation when foul play is suspected or a person is otherwise at risk; (2) to protect the privacy of the person believed to be missing; (3) and to best utilize the very limited resources of the Sheriff's Office. We cannot afford to misdirect resources if the person is “missing” of their own accord, or not really missing at all.

I have reviewed the policies we have in place for initiating a missing person case. I believe those polices are appropriate, and generally mirror the policies of other police agencies. We will be handing out a copy of that policy today.

Secondly, I believe these policies were followed by our Call Receivers when Tom Rider called 9-1-1. I will qualify that by saying the decision to take the report is a subjective one, by necessity, since each situation is different. That means different people might come to a different conclusion.

In this situation, I've spoken with Call Receivers on both sides of the fence - some say we should have taken the report a day earlier, others say it was handled appropriately.

Nevertheless, I would have preferred that the report be taken on the first or second call Saturday morning, rather than 24 hours later. But I want to emphasize that this would not have changed the outcome of the case because the information we had at that time did not warrant calling out detectives immediately.

Finally, I looked at this case from the standpoint of customer service. Did we provide an appropriate amount of “service” to Tom Rider? I determined that in each of his calls we helped him work with Washington State Patrol to see if they were investigating any accidents that might involve Tanya. We helped Tom contact Bellevue Police, which is where Tanya was last seen. We helped Tom work with Renton Honda to determine if Tanya’s new car had a locator device. We also helped Tom understand the importance of contacting family and friends, as well as hospitals and jails.

Could we have done more? Yes, we could have. I think we could have reduced Tom’s sense of frustration and helplessness if we had done a better job of explaining to him how the process worked, and been more specific in explaining what he could do in the meantime to help. For that Tom, I apologize. And I assure you we will do a better job in the future.

I will be talking with the Call Receivers involved to make sure they understand my concerns.

In addition, one of the improvements we will make right away is to provide the person making the report with a list of jails and hospitals that he or she can call right away. I am also going to explore the feasibility of using our Police Chaplains or other volunteers to work with the person making the report to help explain the process one-on-one, and to assist the person in making the appropriate calls. This is especially important when someone is understandably upset and emotional when a loved one is apparently missing.

I have also reviewed the investigation that was done. I believe it was a thorough and proper investigation, and as a result of the excellent work of our missing persons investigator and major crimes detectives, Tanya Rider is alive today.

In spite of that, however, I am still deeply troubled by the hurdles our investigators had to overcome, and the ensuing time delays in getting the cell

phone records that ultimately led us to the location where Tanya was trapped in
her car. There must be a more timely way for law enforcement agencies to get cell phone records pursuant to a missing persons case.

I will be teaming up with other Sheriff's and police chiefs to explore a possible legislative fix for this situation. I want the cell phone companies to provide police with the requested information immediately, while indemnified from liability.

The police would necessarily be forbidden from releasing that information to third parties—including spouses and family members. (This step is necessary to protect those who are fleeing from family violence.) Furthermore, police agencies must have very strict guidelines in place for accessing the information. The information received must be exempt from public disclose to protect the privacy interests of the cell phone owner.

If we’d had timely access to the cell phone information in the Tanya Rider case, she could have been found on Monday, rather than 3½ days later.

However I am only asking for this change for missing person cases. I believe criminal investigations where cell phone records are needed should still have a search warrant for accessing those records.

I am asking Tom Rider to work with me toward this legislative change. State Representative Al O’Brien, a former police officer, has already stepped forward and pledged to help us. Representative O’Brien has previously been an advocate for missing persons legislation. (SB 5191)

Again, my thanks to Tom Rider for understanding the limitations the Sheriff's Office had when investigating the disappearance of his wife. My heart goes out to Tom and his wife for what they have endured so far, and I send my best wishes to Tanya from the entire Sheriff's Office for a speedy recovery.”