A retired private investigator in the Hudson Valley who helps families find their loved ones is raising awareness to what he says are flaws in the way people are reported missing to police. 

Domingo Ramos started Hope Alive 845 to help families find their loved ones for free. 

He says just this week, he helped safely locate two teens and a 43-year-old woman. 

Ramos says many of the cases he handles involve people over the age of 18, who may not be considered by police to be missing under suspicious circumstances. 

He says in some cases, families looking for help have been turned away. 

“They are supposed to take the report no matter how old they are. We don’t know the background of the person. The family knows the background of the person, and if they’re reporting someone missing, they should take it seriously,” said Ramos. 

The NYPD lists on its website that people can be reported missing at any time and outlines special categories that are considered vulnerable where immediate action is taken, including children, those with mental illness or who are considered suicidal, and the elderly. 

But for everyone else the policy is unclear. 

News 12 reached out to state police to see what their protocol is when reporting someone missing and is waiting for a response. 

“Luckily, we found three this week that we’re happy about but there are so many more out there,” said Ramos. 

If someone you know is missing in the Hudson Valley, contact your local police department or Hope Alive 845 at 845-866-0442.