Explanation of Terms

Here we try to simplify the terminology that is used in relation to the investigation of missing persons, as it can be difficult to understand for those with no previous experience of these situations. Should there be other terms that have mystified you, please use ‘contact us‘ on this website and we will endeavour to add an explanation.

What is a Missing Person?

We are going to start by talking about what is meant by a missing person, as this can mean different things to different people in different situations. Also, whilst one person may consider another person to be missing, the person they are concerned about may not think of themselves as being missing.

Definition of a missing person

The police will record a someone as a missing person if there are suspicious or concerning circumstances. For example, where there is concern that the person has suffered death, serious injury or other form of harm, or been a victim of a serious crime, or there is concern that the person will suffer these things if not found.

There are various definitions of what a missing person is and, unfortunately, the definition varies from country to country. The current definition for policing in England and Wales is:

“Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.
All reports of missing people sit within a continuum of risk from ‘no apparent risk (absent)’ through to high-risk cases that require immediate, intensive action.”
For more information see College of Policing Authorised Profession Practice.

The above definition is also used in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, the definition of a missing person is:

“Anyone whose whereabouts is unknown and: Where the circumstances are out of character; or. The context suggests the person may be subject to crime; or. The person is at risk of harm to themselves or another.”

For more information see National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland.

Understanding missing

Having an official definition helps to standardise the response to missing persons and provide a starting point for investigations but, as stated above, not everyone has the same understanding and the subject can be complex. There have been cases of a person being reported missing to the police and then being surprised to see something in the media saying that they were missing when they had not considered this to be the case themselves. So, a person may not realise that their actions or behaviour have caused another person to be so concerned about them that they report them missing.

Getting lost or injured

Sometimes people go out and simply get lost and it is not until someone else misses them that any action may be taken. This is often the case when someone gets lost or injured when out doing some type of activity and do not return home, or to another place they are meant to be at the appointed time. On occasions, people may get injured, thus preventing them from getting to a place of safety, and possibly not knowing where they are. In these situations, the police will often ask a local volunteer rescue team to search for the missing person.

The most known of these are Mountain and Lowland Rescue organisations, who have expertise in looking for and recovering missing persons, sometimes in difficult and dangerous terrain. They will often have access to other specialist resources, such search dogs, medical assistance, and rescue helicopters.

Volunteer search teams also respond to incidents in lowland areas, conduct cave rescues, operate on the margins of the land and the sea, plus the well-known RNLI, who are also volunteers. In most of these types of case there is no need for police involvement, however, these search resources can only be deployed at the request of the police.

Missing in conflict

In times of war, it is common for service personnel to become lost or missing for a variety of reasons. It is not something that is often thought about until it directly impacts on an individual, their service unit or their family. These cases are usually dealt with by the service to which they belong or their home countries government organisations. There are also dedicated organisations that will investigate and give support as required, the two main ones being International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).

Missing in another country

When a person goes missing in another country, this presents additional difficulties for their families and those who are trying to find them. The responsibility for investigating their disappearance rests with the authorities in the country in which they disappeared. That is not to say that the authorities in their country of origin will not be involved but procedures will be determined locally. In the UK, for example, the incident should be reported to the local police and to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). You can also contact LBT Global, a charity specialising in these cases.

Men missing on a night out

This is a something that is particularly relevant to young men who go on a night out and disappear, with a significant number of those reported missing being found dead in water. A study of 96 fatal disappearances revealed that 71% were under 25 years and 89% were recovered from water. For more information, see the full report.

Lost contact cases

The police will not usually investigate cases where contact has been lost with a relative or friend, unless there are indications that the person may be at risk of harm. Help can be requested from the Missing People Lost Contact Service, the British Red Cross provide an international family tracing service and the Salvation Army provide a family tracing service.

Reasons for going missing

Anyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or educational background, may become a missing person.
The reasons for going missing are many and varied and can include mental illness, miscommunication, misadventure, domestic violence, and being a victim of crime.

The challenge is that the information may not be complete at the time someone goes missing and therefore, it is hard to fully understand the nature or potential seriousness of the disappearance. Going missing can be driven by a variety of factors. It might just be a case of forgetting to be somewhere they are expected, a misunderstanding or lack of communication. On the other hand, it could be that they are running away from some sort of harm, such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, financial difficulties, school or work problems or many other issues. It could also be that they are the subject of crime or are being lured away to be exploited. These are known as push and pull factors.

Golden Hour

This is often talked about in relation to investigations and the need to act quickly. As time passes evidence is lost or deteriorates, witness information may not be found, missing people can travel greater distances and, in some cases, the risk to the person increases and/or medical issues can become more serious. Generally speaking, the quicker the response, the better the chances of a successful outcome.

24 Hours Myth

It was common practice in the past to not consider a person to be missing and the police would not take a missing person report until 24 and sometimes 48 hours had elapsed since they disappeared. This is a myth, with experience and good practice stating that no time should be lost. If someone is thought to be missing, this should be reported to the police as soon as possible.

Risk Assessment

The police receive more than 250,000 calls every year reporting missing persons which means they have a difficult task in determining how to use resources effectively. In medical situations patients are triaged to determine who needs the most urgent treatment and the same principles should be applied to reports of missing persons. All available information should be gathered and assessed, using a standardised checklist to determine if the case appears to be of high, medium, or low risk. For further information about risk in relation to going missing see Understanding and Managing Risk in the Context of Missing Persons. The College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice sets out the processes that should be followed in the UK.

Right to go missing and notification to family

Adults have a right to go missing, however, the circumstances may dictate that their disappearance requires investigation, and this decision will, in most cases, be decided around risk of harm. It also follows that if an adult person who has been reported missing is found by the police, they can state if they want any persons informed of their whereabouts.  In these circumstances, police will inform the reporting person, relatives that they are no longer considering the case to be a missing person investigation.  No information about the missing person (who is not missing at this point) will be disclosed.

For children, this is completely different, unless they are 16 years and over. Younger children should be returned to those with parental responsibility unless there are circumstances that the police consider would place the child at risk of harm if they were returned. In those cases, the police will take the child into police protection and steps will be taken to investigate and ensure the child is taken to a place of safety until the facts have been discovered. 

Legal advice indicates that, for those over 16 years, the situation is less clear and due to their age, returning them to those with parental responsibility may need more consideration and will depend on the circumstances. The right course of action will need to be determined by the police and social services where appropriate.

To search or not to search – what is search?

To be clear about what is meant by search, as it is used differently in different counties. In the UK, a search is the physical act of looking for something and using the most appropriate resources to do so. An investigation is linked to the search and is the part that involves asking questions and making enquiries. In some countries, search is applied to the whole activity of looking for a missing person with a missing person search covering all aspects of investigation and physically looking for something or the missing person. We will discuss in the perspective of the UK.

An investigation into a missing person will require a variety of responses that are relevant to the circumstances of the disappearance. One of these is a physical search by people on foot, by specialist search dogs, helicopters, using specialist equipment, etc. Whether or not a search is conducted should be led by the information that is available and makes the best use of resources to locate the person as quickly as possible. In some cases, what is known as a ‘hasty search’ will be carried out to quickly check local areas. This will usually be followed by or replaced with a much more structured and planned search operation. What type of search activity takes place will depend on the circumstances, the risk and the information that is available. Not conducting a physical search does not imply that nothing is being done and the most effective response results from the most appropriate use of resources.

A search of the missing person’s house, room or other place they inhabit should be carried out in the majority of cases for the purpose of trying to locate the person, look for clues about why they have disappeared and where they might have gone. This may seem intrusive but is an essential part of the investigation. The search will be done with consent unless the police have a warrant or there is a need to save life and limb or prevent serious damage to property.

Go to the Organisations page on this website for information about those that are able to carry out searches. It is the responsibility of the police to decide which of these resources are appropriate to a particular situation and only they can request their services.

Media

When someone is missing, the use of media alerts and messages can be extremely helpful and assist in finding the person. Child Rescue Alert may be used by the police in appropriate situations. It should also be remembered that inappropriate use of the media can be detrimental and, with widespread use of the internet, anything that is said in the media can stay there forever. The ‘right to be forgotten’ should always be borne in mind so that remaining information and images do not cause harm in later years.

Social media is instant and widespread, sometimes resulting in the spreading of false information and negative comments.

The police and Missing People will consider whether media is appropriate in each case and have experience of how best to use it.

Child Rescue Alert

This is rarely used, as is it intended for the most serious cases, especially where there is a risk of harm to a missing child. It is a high-profile alert issued via the media to seek information about where the missing person is. Whether or not it should be used is a decision for the police and more information can be found at the UK Missing Persons Unit.

Amber Alert

This operates to the same principles as Child Rescue Alert and was started in America and has spread to many other countries. For organisations involved in Amber Alerts, please go to the Organisations page on this website.

Forensic samples and DNA

The gathering of material that can help to identify a missing person in the future can cause alarm amongst the family and friends.  This does not mean that the police believe that the worst has happened to the missing person but it is good practice, as the best opportunities for recovering such samples are soon after the person has gone missing.

The types of samples that are referred to are mainly fingerprints and DNA, with dental records being requested in most cases depending on the circumstances.  It is important that items with DNA on them are kept safe, for example, toothbrushes and hairbrushes. Ask the investigating officer what they recommend.

Police Search Advisor (PolSA)

A PolSA is a specialist trained in a variety of search types and the use of various techniques. It is always important that the search is appropriate and proportionate to the needs of the investigation. The PolSA will assess which areas should be searched and in what order, how those searches should be carried out, assess the results and liaise with the investigation team to share knowledge and information gained. For more detailed information see the College of Policing.

Family Liaison Officer (FLO)

A Family Liaison Officer is a specially trained police officer who is assigned to serious cases, usually where a serious crime is suspected.  They are a point of contact between the family and the police investigation team. The FLO will advise and assist the family, sharing information about the progress of the case and seeking further information that may assist the investigation. They will be used in a small number of missing persons cases that are sufficiently serious and where the police consider it to be appropriate.  

Depending on the seriousness of the case, the police may allocate a single point of contact or possibly a Family Liaison Officer.  We suggest that the family ask for a regular point of contact within the police for updates on the progress of the investigation in all cases and for them to be able to share relevant information as it is remembered or becomes available. For more information go to the College of Policing.

Missing Persons Units

At a national level, the UK Missing Persons Unit is part of the National Crime Agency and is responsible to collating data about missing persons, administering a national database of unidentified bodies and body parts, together with providing support and advice to local police forces. 

On a more local basis, some police forces have dedicated missing person officers or units, whose primary role is to work on missing person cases. There is not a standard definition of how these units operate and is a matter for each police force to decide if one is required together with its role and remit.  Generally, where such a unit exists, it will be a point of contact for families in relation to ongoing cases. 

Personal Location Devices

Questions are often asked about the use of personal location devices to track the movements of vulnerable persons. Concerns have been raised in relation to the civil liberties and human rights of individuals where such devices might be provided by the police and other organisations. This means that they are not normally used in this way.  Should the person for whom it is intended consents to having such a device then it is something that may assist in locating them should they go missing. This must be a matter for the individual and/or their family to discuss.