The LaToyia Figueroa case may be off the front pages but, since the case stoked questions about how race plays into media coverage and police response to missing-persons cases, its effects are still being felt in Philadelphia. Having unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Councilman Juan Ramos, City Council declared last week Missing Persons Awareness Week. That effort will culminate Saturday with a conference at West Philadelphia High School where affected families, including Natalee Holloway's, will draw attention to a troubling issue that was highlighted during the Figueroa investigation.

City Paper: How does a victim's socioeconomic status affect [missing-persons] investigations?

John Darby: The Police Department's response is actually geared toward universal situations. A missing kid is a missing kid; it doesn't matter what part of the city he's from.

CP: Do families complain that their cases are being ignored when they shouldn't be?

JD: Yes, there are times when families get frustrated, but we follow all leads. We use the Police Department Web sites and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to post pictures. A newspaper would never have room to handle all of the missing persons pictures. If you flood the community with photos, people will lose interest. It's a challenge to figure out where to put the resources and how many of those resources.

CP: Will having more people paying more attention [as a result of the Awareness Week], and getting involved in missing-persons cases hinder investigations in any way?

JD: I think community involvement aligns itself with investigations. It doesn't necessarily interrupt or interfere with investigations.

CP: Will the conference affect the way the Police Department deals with cases?

JD: It will not affect the way the Police Department responds to missing-persons cases, because we have a protocol. But we constantly look to refine our approach and policies based on our own experience, or on what we've seen or read. People will be able to hear more about the challenges the Police Department faces regarding these missing-persons cases. We're never going to grow if we don't look at what we do and change.