What happens if you are reported missing by your family??

A Guide to Police procedures.

Name
Age
Description of person
Description of clothing
Home address
Circumstances of going missing
Is this behaviour out of character?

Contact details of the person making the report.

Identification of risk surrounding the missing person:

• Is the person vulnerable due to age of infirmity or any other similar factor?

• Behaviour that is out of character is often a strong indicator or risk; are the circumstances of going missing different from normal behaviour patterns?

• Is the person suspected to be a victim of a significant crime in progress, e.g. abduction?

• Is there any indication that the person is likely to commit suicide?

• Is there a reason for the person to go missing?

• Are there indications that preparations have been made for absence?

• What was the person intending to do when last seen? E.g going to the shops or catching the bus and did they fail to complete their intentions?

• Are there family and, or relationship problems or recent history of family conflict and/or abuse?

• Are they a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence?

• Does the missing person have any physical illness, disability or mental health issues?

• Are they on the Child Protection Register?

• Do they need essential medication that is not likely to be available to them?

• Belief that the person may not have the physical ability to interact safely with others or an unknown environment.

• Ongoing bullying or harassment e.g. racial, sexual, homophobic or local community concerns and, or cultural issues?

• Were they involved in a violent and, or racist incident immediately prior to disappearance?

• Previously disappeared and suffered or was exposed to harm?

• School, college, university, employment or financial problems?

• Drug or alcohol dependency?

• Other unlisted factors which the officer or supervisor considers would influence risk assessment?

Police will also need to know:

• How much cash did they have when they went missing?

• Which other friends, neighbours and acquaintances have useful information?

• Could they be in hospital, police custody or prison?

• What keys do they have in their possession? 

Categories of missing persons:

• Lost Person: This is a person who is temporarily disorientated and would wish to be found, e.g. someone who has gone walking and does not know where they are.

• Missing person who has voluntarily gone missing: This is someone who has control over their actions and who has decide upon a course of action, e.g. wishes to leave home of commit suicide.

• Missing person under the influence of a third party: Someone who has gone missing against their will, e.g. abduction or murder victim.

• Responsibilities of attending officers:

•      Establish the facts and keep accurate records of what was said and by whom.

• Make an assessment of the circumstances of the disappearance in order to make a judgement regarding the risks to which that  person of the community are leaky to be exposed. The decision, the evidence supporting it and where the information came from, should be recorded on the missing persons form.

•   Gather sufficient information about the missing person to enable and effective and thorough investigation to be conducted. The depth of that information will vary according to the assessment  of risk. Very detailed information and a lifestyle profile will be needed in high-risk cases.

•       Notify supervisor immediately in high risk case. In the case of medium risk inform a supervisor without undue delay and in all other cases by the end of tour of duty.

• Conduct a search of the premises and its environs.

•    Make all immediate relevant enquiries in order to locate the missing person.

•      Circulate the person reported missing on the Police National Computer.

•       Circulate the person on local information systems.

•      Consider obtaining physical evidence of identity such as recent photographs, fingerprints, DNA  samples.

•     Identify the person who is the point of contact for the police and assess levels of support required for the family etc.

Family Liason and Support

• Support from the police may be necessary to:

• Provide a named officer as a contact point for the family

• Support and clarify ongoing enquiry

• Elicit extra information about the missing person

• Ensure that the police are informed when the person returns

• Appoint a Familiy Liason Officer

 Action on return from missing:

Interviews with the missing person will be carried out to establish the following;

• The reason why the person was missing.
• Whether they have been a victim of crime whilst missing.
• Whether they have been commiting crime whilst missing.
• Whether any person has accomodated them and where.
• To find out any information which may help police find them in the future.
• To put in place support and preventative measures to avoid a repeat incident.