20/03/2013

Missing Person Investigation Procedure To Change

How police investigate missing person reports is to change from April, in an effort to focus resources on cases which are considered most at risk.

Currently police must investigate each report, of which they receive around 900 a day.

The change will mean from April, police will launch a full investigation only for people whose disappearance is out of character or who are thought to be in danger.

Police call handlers will divide reports into two categories.

People who are simply not where they are expected to be will be termed "absent" and the cases will be monitored.

Where there is a specific reason for concern, they will be classed as "missing" - prompting an investigation.

Chief Constable Pat Geenty, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said the current regime was "a huge demand on police resources".

But the NSPCC and the Children's Society have warned the changes could put children at risk.

Of the approximate 327,000 cases of missing persons a year, two-thirds of them involve children.

(H)


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