Just want to pass on this compliment from a Canadian judge regarding UK missing persons..
2021
Speaking Up for the Missing | Smith Magazine
''Which country is doing a good job dealing with missing persons?
Without question, the United Kingdom. I thoroughly examined the U.K. system and came away impressed with a number of things. First and foremost, they take the report of a person’s disappearance very seriously. Second, the U.K. takes a holistic, collaborative approach to the issue. There, the missing are not just an issue for the police to deal with. Various agencies are involved—government, health, housing and social services, to name just a few. And the police approach the many challenging issues surrounding missing persons with creativity and considerable commitment of resources.
I learned a great deal from the missing and exploitation manager of the Thames Valley Police Force. She is an extraordinarily knowledgeable and experienced officer who has dedicated her career to the missing. As an example of some of her force’s initiatives, she described monthly meetings called STEM [strategic, exploitation and missing] in which the heads of social service agencies and police discuss trends they are seeing around the missing.
In the U.K., there is also significant civilian involvement in the investigation of missing person cases. One area where civilianization has had a considerable impact is in the area of risk assessment. Many U.K. police departments have trained risk assessors who work collaboratively and full time performing this key task. Another initiative that has met with great success involves police forces that have moved toward hiring civilians as missing person co-ordinators. In addition to overseeing investigations, these co-ordinators undertake such tasks as reviewing cases to identify patterns and communicating with loved ones of the missing.''
2021
Speaking Up for the Missing | Smith Magazine
''Which country is doing a good job dealing with missing persons?
Without question, the United Kingdom. I thoroughly examined the U.K. system and came away impressed with a number of things. First and foremost, they take the report of a person’s disappearance very seriously. Second, the U.K. takes a holistic, collaborative approach to the issue. There, the missing are not just an issue for the police to deal with. Various agencies are involved—government, health, housing and social services, to name just a few. And the police approach the many challenging issues surrounding missing persons with creativity and considerable commitment of resources.
I learned a great deal from the missing and exploitation manager of the Thames Valley Police Force. She is an extraordinarily knowledgeable and experienced officer who has dedicated her career to the missing. As an example of some of her force’s initiatives, she described monthly meetings called STEM [strategic, exploitation and missing] in which the heads of social service agencies and police discuss trends they are seeing around the missing.
In the U.K., there is also significant civilian involvement in the investigation of missing person cases. One area where civilianization has had a considerable impact is in the area of risk assessment. Many U.K. police departments have trained risk assessors who work collaboratively and full time performing this key task. Another initiative that has met with great success involves police forces that have moved toward hiring civilians as missing person co-ordinators. In addition to overseeing investigations, these co-ordinators undertake such tasks as reviewing cases to identify patterns and communicating with loved ones of the missing.''
