# "Without A Trace" Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329 "2005-10-28T16:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329/1 "2005-10-28T16:08:25Z")
I’ve watched a number of _Without A Trace_ episodes, and think it is a pretty good program. Obviously I missed the pilot, so am baffled. How did the writers justify the FBI, that is supposed to investigate just federal crimes, becoming a branch of the NYCPD Missing Persons Bureau? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329/2 "2005-10-28T17:37:59Z")
> [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > I’ve watched a number of _Without A Trace_ episodes, and think it is a pretty good program. > > Obviously I missed the pilot, so am baffled. How did the writers justify the FBI, that is supposed to investigate just federal crimes, becoming a branch of the NYCPD Missing Persons Bureau? Well, they were unorganized under Homeland Security. Much like FEMA. The only FBI Dept. to get INCREASED funding under Homeland Security was the X-Files, I hear. ---
**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329/3 "2005-10-28T19:18:42Z")
I agree it is a good show – I’m hooked anyway. But \ do the authorities ever really open an investigation when someone is only 10 hours missing as last night’s 10/27 episode portrayed? I can see it if a kidnapping were witnessed, but just because you haven’t been heard from…\ -rainy ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329/4 "2005-10-28T20:14:47Z")
I missed the first few episodes, too, and always wondered the same thing. Where’s the federal jurisdiction? The FBI has squads that only do missing persons cases? I always figured it was Jerry Bruckheimer ignoring the real-life role of the FBI just like he ignores the real-life role of crime scene technicians. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329/5 "2005-10-28T20:19:47Z")
I posted the exact question last season, and got an intelligent response (if somebody feels like searching the archives, go ahead…): the FBI investigates kidnappings, and can presume that a missing person has been kidnapped. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-a-trace-question/328329/6 "2005-10-28T20:48:14Z")
> [@rainy](#): > > I agree it is a good show – I’m hooked anyway. But \ do the authorities ever really open an investigation when someone is only 10 hours missing as last night’s 10/27 episode portrayed? I can see it if a kidnapping were witnessed, but just because you haven’t been heard from…\ > > -rainy I don’t doubt that there have been episodes where Malone’s crew swung into action in cases that would most likely be investigated as simple missing persons cases, but last night’s episode isn’t a good example of that. She vanished without closing up shop, and that one fella had already told the NYPD about witnessing the fight between her and her boyfriend. It’s pretty suggestive of foul play. If they began investigating it as a kidnapping or murder, they _could_ ask the FBI for help. I think it’s the flip-side of the “the relationship between the FBI and local authorities is uniformly antagonistic” thing you usually see in TV shows and movies: Beat cop: The feds might have jurisdiction over this. Let’s give them a ring. J. Edgar: Relax! We’ll dedicate every possible resource to it!