N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 718

§ 718. Return of run away. (a) A peace officer, acting pursuant to\nsuch peace officer's special duties, or a police officer may return to a\nparent or other person legally responsible for such child's care any\nchild under the age of eighteen who has run away from home without just\ncause or who, in the reasonable conclusion of the officer, appears to\nhave run away from home without just cause. For purposes of this action,\na police officer or peace officer may reasonably conclude that a child\nhas run away from home when the child refuses to give his or her name or\nthe name and address of a parent or other person legally responsible for\nsuch child's care or when the officer has reason to doubt that the name\nor address given are the actual name and address of the parent or other\nperson legally responsible for the child's care.\n (b) A peace officer, acting pursuant to the peace officer's special\nduties, or a police officer is authorized to take a youth who has run\naway from home or who, in the reasonable opinion of the officer, appears\nto have run away from home, to a facility certified or approved for such\npurpose by the office of children and family services, if the peace\nofficer or police officer is unable, or if it is unsafe, to return the\nyouth to his or her home or to the custody of his or her parent or other\nperson legally responsible for his or her care. Any such facility\nreceiving a youth shall inform a parent or other person responsible for\nsuch youth's care.\n (c) If a child placed pursuant to this article in the custody of a\ncommissioner of social services or an authorized agency shall run away\nfrom the custody of such commissioner or authorized agency, any peace\nofficer, acting pursuant to his special duties, or police officer may\napprehend, restrain, and return such child to such location as such\ncommissioner shall direct or to such authorized agency and it shall be\nthe duty of any such officer to assist any representative of the\ncommissioner or agency to take into custody any such child upon the\nrequest of such representative.\n