Missing Persons Clearinghouse (MPCH)

August 17, 2020

The Missing Persons Clearinghouse (MPCH) was established in 1985 by the 69th Legislature and became operational in 1986. Clearinghouse personnel assist law enforcement agencies and the public in locating persons who are missing from Texas or who are missing from other states but believed to be in Texas.

In 2001, the Texas Legislature established a Missing Persons DNA Database at the University of North Texas in Fort Worth.

In 2007, the DPS Unidentified Persons/DNA Unit was formed. The mission of the Unit is to assist Texas law enforcement in their mandatory requirement to enter all available information regarding an unidentified deceased/living person including identifying features, dental records, fingerprints, any unusual physical characteristics and a description of clothing or personal belongings found.

The Unidentified Persons/DNA Unit and the Missing Persons Clearinghouse (MPCH) have formed a partnership with the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification to help link Texas' missing persons to unidentified human remains.

The Missing Persons Clearinghouse (MPCH) and Unidentified Persons/DNA Unit are part of the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Both were established to meet the needs of law enforcement and the public.

The Clearinghouse maintains a public web site in conjunction with the Unidentified Persons and DNA Unit to disseminate information regarding missing and unidentified persons.

 

Annual MPCH Statistics

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018