Intake

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Definitions

BC Police Missing Persons Centre (BCPMPC):  A provincial force unit that provides guidance and support to all police in the province for Missing Person investigations, and coordinates and supports unidentified human remains investigations.

Missing Person:  Anyone reported to police or by police as someone whose whereabouts are unknown, whatever the circumstances of their disappearance, and who are considered missing until located.

Provincial Missing Person Intake Form:  The PRIME-BC Missing Person Details Page and all available and relevant CPIC fields.

Standards

Acceptance of reports of Missing Persons

The Chief Constable, Chief Officer, or Commissioner must ensure that:

(1) All reports of Missing Persons are accepted at the time they are made and given full consideration and attention regardless of:

(a) The Missing Person’s gender, age, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, belief, social standing or lifestyle;
(b) The reportee’s relationship to the Missing Person;
(c) The length of time the person has been missing; and
(d) Whether the report meets the criteria for jurisdiction set out in Standard (3) below.

(2) Under no circumstances should a reportee be advised that they must wait a specific period of time before a report can be made. 

Jurisdiction

The Chief Constable, Chief Officer, or Commissioner must ensure that:

(3) The following criteria are used to determine which police service has jurisdiction in relation to a Missing Person report:

(a) The police service for the jurisdiction in which the Missing Person was last seen is the police service of jurisdiction; or
(b) If the location where the Missing Person was last seen is not known or their presence there was transient in nature, then the police service for the jurisdiction where the Missing Person resides or last stayed is the police service of jurisdiction.

(4) If jurisdiction is unclear and cannot be resolved between police services, the police service contacts the Officer in Charge BC Police Missing Persons Centre/designate as soon as practicable, who makes the decision regarding jurisdiction. 

(5) The risk assessment and the start of an investigation must not be delayed pending the resolution of questions concerning jurisdiction. 

Missing Person reports within the police service's jurisdiction

The Chief Constable, Chief Officer, or Commissioner must ensure that:

(6) If the assessment of the circumstances determines that the Missing Person report falls within the jurisdiction of the police service:

(a) The report is assigned to a police officer;
(b) An initial assessment is completed without delay by the officer assigned (see 5.1.2 Risk Assessment);
(c) The Provincial Missing Person Intake Form is completed; and
(d) The police service assumes and retains operational control of the investigation until it is concluded (see 5.1.3 Response and Investigation, 5.1.4 File Review and Monitoring, 5.1.5 Family Members and Reportees, and 5.1.6 Concluding a Missing Person Investigation).

Missing Person reports outside the police service's jurisdiction

The Chief Constable, Chief Officer, or Commissioner must ensure that:

(7) If the assessment of the circumstances determines that the Missing Person report does not fall within the jurisdiction of the police service:

(a) The police service taking the Missing Person report assumes responsibility for the investigation, including prompt initial entry of the Missing Person on PRIME, CPIC, and any other relevant police databases, until it has transferred the investigation to the police service of jurisdiction. The transfer of the investigation is not complete until the police service of jurisdiction has confirmed its receipt of the report and responsibility for the investigation, and generated a file number;
(b) All information received or generated by the police service in relation to the Missing Person report is forwarded to the police service of jurisdiction immediately or, at the latest, within 24 hours;
(c) The police service advises the reportee of the transfer and provides the file number generated by the police service of jurisdiction; and
(d) The receipt of the Missing Person report, its transfer to the police service of jurisdiction, the notification of the reportee, and any other actions taken are documented.

(8) The police service promptly responds to requests for assistance from the police service of jurisdiction in relation to a Missing Person investigation. 

Policies and procedures

The Chief Constable, Chief Officer, or Commissioner must ensure that:

(9) Policies and procedures governing reports of Missing Persons acknowledge Missing Person investigations as a high-risk area of policing.

(10) Policies and procedures governing reports of Missing Persons are consistent with these BC Provincial Policing Standards.