The missing info on missing people cases
You hear and see things about missing people pretty frequently, but it can be hard to see those people as anything more than a picture on the screen when you don’t know how they got there or why they are missing.
This National Missing Persons Week, we thought we’d shed some light on the processes, the persistent questions we see and the things those who work hard to find missing people in Queensland want you to know.
In 2020, 8058 people were reported missing to the Queensland Police Service (QPS). Most of these people are found within a short period of time.
What does it take to be reported missing?
Anytime someone has concerns for your safety or welfare and your whereabouts are unknown, they are able to report that to police so we can start investigating.
There is no minimum time period to wait before reporting someone missing to police and it doesn’t matter how old they are.
Each missing person report involves a response from multiple officers on different levels, unique to the circumstances of their disappearance. These officers work on different lines of inquiries to find these missing people for their concerned loved ones.
Are there specialist officers assigned to every missing person case?
Throughout the QPS, the majority of officers and units intersect with missing persons work; from specialist units like Dog and Dive Squad and Polair to general duty officers exploring initial inquiries as well as search and rescue trained staff.
The Missing Persons Unit oversees all missing people cases and consists of 10 multi-skilled police officers. The unit provides support to frontline police throughout the state in the form of specialised searches with financial, insurance institutes, overseas enquiries and other intelligence systems at the unit’s disposal.
The Missing Persons Unit is also responsible for long-term missing persons within Queensland and liaises with Homicide’s Cold Case Unit for long term suspicious missing persons cases.
Is there a time limit or categorisation for missing people?
Once someone is missing for more than three months, they are classified as a long-term missing person.
At this point, police will provide the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC) with profile information for inclusion on the Australian Public Register.
Lines of inquiry will vary on a case by case basis.
There are many lines of inquiry and investigative methods police will explore before publicly appealing for information via media releases and talking to news media.
Is it a crime to be reported missing?
It is not a crime to be reported to police as missing.
If this has occurred, it is because someone is worried about you.
If you have been reported missing and make contact with police, police will maintain your privacy.
While it may seem like you see missing people on the news a lot, it’s important to remember that every case is unique and peoples’ reasons for going missing can be completely different.
Is there a common reason people go missing?
Different areas throughout the state experience different frequencies of missing people reports and different potential reasons.
Areas with a high elderly population can see a larger numbers of people going missing for reasons linked to dementia; while some areas have more prominent trends for young people to go missing.
In Queensland, the most common demographic of missing people are teenagers aged 12 – 17 years-old. The elderly are also highly represented.
For officers in the Missing Persons Unit, these people’s names and last known locations form part of their vocabulary as they operate with the bounds of investigative processes and privacy limitations to try to find Queensland’s missing people on a daily basis.
Do police still care if someone goes missing multiple times?
Each time someone goes missing it is treated as an individual report and the priority is to find the person safe and well as soon as possible.
National Missing Persons Week gives us the opportunity to profile long-term missing persons and raise awareness about the issues surrounding missing persons.
When is a missing person case closed?
A person remains listed as missing until they are sighted or when their remains are located.
Of those reported missing, 98 per cent are found within the first 48 hours to first week.
Detective Senior Sergeant Adrian Lange said that the Missing Persons Unit wanted people to remember that being reported missing is not a crime.
“If you’re reported missing, you’re not in trouble,” Detective Senior Sergeant Lange said.
“We want people to remember that our priority is to find people and make sure they’re safe if they’ve been reported missing.”
If you know of someone who has been reported missing, encourage them to contact the police to let them know they’re safe and well.
For more information about National Missing Persons Week, visit the Australian Federal Police website and read the profile on Queensland’s Christine, missing since February 12, 1999: missingpersons.gov.au/search/qld/christine-fenner
