A missing persons investigation is a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of an individual. These investigations can be some of the most complex assignments for law enforcement detectives.
Journalists should always be wary of sources who claim to have 흥신소 information regarding a missing person. Their sources could be working with criminal gangs or other corrupt authorities.
Human Sources
When someone goes missing, the investigation can be complex and sensitive. The investigative work often involves speaking to family members, close friends and colleagues of the missing person. These sources can provide a wealth of information, such as details about their activities and whereabouts before they disappeared. They can also give clues to their possible motives for disappearing, such as evidence of access to websites or books about changing identities.
This information is critical for police officers to assess the risks involved in the case, which determines the urgency and resources allocated. It also helps them determine whether the disappearance is suspicious. The process can be particularly challenging in cases involving enforced disappearances, mass graves or missing people associated with criminal rackets. In these situations, it’s often difficult to find reliable information because officials may be involved in the disappearances or hiding information.
When investigating these issues, it’s important to maintain contact with your sources and omit information that could put them at risk or make them targets of violence. It’s also important to liaise with experts in the field, such as NGOs, so they can help you decide which information to publish and which to keep private. You should also be aware that there are laws around disclosure of personal information which can impact the person providing it.
Database Searches
Each year, a number of people disappear under suspicious circumstances in countries around the world. Their families wait anxiously for news. And if they don’t find answers, the emotional and financial toll can be unbearable.
Two primary databases – NCIC (national criminal identification center) and NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) – hold data that can help solve cases and reunite missing persons with their loved ones. But the information retrieved from these systems can be fragmented.
NamUs, for example, is a web-based tool geared toward families of missing persons, law enforcement, and medical examiners/coroners. It can be accessed by everyone and can search multiple federal, state and local databases of missing persons cases for potential matches.
Its public user interface helps raise awareness, rejuvenate cold cases for possible new leads and provides free forensic and analytical resources to these cases that may not be accessible through NCIC. It’s been effective in bringing closure to cases and reuniting victims with their families.
Similarly, INTERPOL’s Yellow Notices are global police alerts that are used to share potentially helpful information on cases of missing and unidentified individuals. But despite the reach of these international police alerts, many missing persons cases remain unsolved. A plethora of factors contribute to this, including the fact that human remains are often difficult to identify.
Flow Charts
All missing person reports will sit within a risk continuum, from those where there is little to no apparent risk through to high risks cases that require urgent, intensive action. It is important that an investigation is initiated that is suited to the level of risk.
IOs and their teams should be encouraged to explore all lines of enquiry, including those that may have been considered by other officers or investigations. These should be recorded, reviewed and progressed appropriately.
The IO should also consider the use of passive data, such as ANPR and mobile phone satellite navigation system (s) data, to help build up an overall picture of the missing person’s lifestyle and movements (see Using Passive Information). It is important that family members and carers are consulted throughout the process, especially in relation to how they would like to be contacted at each stage of the investigation. This needs to be balanced against the impact of police involvement on them, see Managing Family/Carer Expectations.
A supervisor should ensure that a case is regularly reviewed and the risk assessment reassessed at appropriate intervals, taking into account the time that has passed since the previous review. A flow chart, such as the one created by Yoder Lumber in Lucidchart, is a good tool to use for this. It allows users to draw boxes and other shapes that represent steps, connecting them with arrows to follow different paths and ask questions until a logical solution is reached.
Publishing Initial Findings
Missing persons are one of the most challenging assignments a peace officer may face. They require the police to locate a person(s) as quickly and safely as possible while dealing with difficult legal and emotional issues.
Family members, especially close ones, are often helpful in identifying people who have gone missing. They can also provide important information about a person’s lifestyle, friends and associates. However, it is essential to verify that the facts and statements made are correct and accurate. Loved ones can be unwitting sources of crime and it is easy to fall into the trap of believing what they tell you is true, particularly in cases where criminal gangs are involved.
It is essential that all available information about a missing person is recorded, including the date and time of their disappearance and where they were last seen. This will assist investigations into any potential crimes committed against the person and help identify risk factors.
For some missing persons cases the investigation will take a long time to resolve. The police should be open and honest with family, carers and friends throughout the process. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children recommends that these families should be kept up to date on enquiries, reassured that the case is being managed and offered a reasonable expectation of ongoing contact in these long term investigations.