Risk Assessment Process for Missing Person Investigations

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Definitions

High-Risk Missing Person Investigation: A Missing Person investigation in which the Missing Person’s health or wellbeing may be in immediate danger due to:

(a) Their own vulnerability (e.g., the very young and very old, persons with physical illness, disability, addictions or mental health concerns, persons who may be suicidal and persons involved in activities that may place them at increased risk of harm);
(b) Being part of an identifiable group that is at an increased risk of harm;
(c) The weather or physical conditions where the Missing Person is believed to be; or
(d) Reasonable grounds to believe they may be the victim of a crime.

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.

Missing Person Coordinator: The police officer designated as responsible for oversight and support functions for the police service’s Missing Person investigations, including those functions listed in Standard (1) of 5.1.4 File Review and Monitoring (PDF, 133.6KB) of these BC Provincial Policing Standards.

Missing Person Risk Assessment Template: A template in PRIME-BC for assessing the level of risk related to a Missing Person report, which includes all of the questions and instructions contained in the sample template in Appendix A of these Standards.

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Standards

Initial risk assessment

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

(1) An initial risk assessment is completed by a police officer without delay for all Missing Person reports within the police service’s jurisdiction.

(2) Consideration is given to completing an initial risk assessment pending the determination of jurisdiction and/or transfer of the investigation to the police service of jurisdiction.

(3) The initial risk assessment includes:

(a) Completion of the (Missing Person Risk Assessment Template (PDF, 201KB) in PRIME; and
(b) Determination of risk in consultation with a supervisor.

(4) If the response to all questions on the Missing Person Risk Assessment Template is “no”, the police officer must then consult with a supervisor to confirm the screening result.

(5) If the response to any question on the Missing Person Risk Assessment Template is “yes”, the matter requires immediate review and consultation with a supervisor to assess the appropriate response and resources.

(6) The consultation under Standard (5) above includes consideration of the following factors:

(a) Any reason to suspect the Missing Person may have been abducted;
(b) Any suspicious, dangerous or unknown circumstances surrounding the Missing Person’s disappearance, which suggest the Missing Person may be the victim of a crime;
(c) The mental or emotional state of the Missing Person (e.g., emotionally distraught, suicidal or likely to cause harm to self or others);
(d) Whether the Missing Person has been involved in a violent or threatening incident prior to going missing (e.g., intimate partner violence, bullying or elder abuse);
(e) Whether the Missing Person is part of an identifiable group that is statistically at an increased risk of harm (e.g., Indigenous women);
(f) Characteristics of the Missing Person which may make them vulnerable, such as their age, addiction to drugs/alcohol, infirmity, inability to communicate or other factors;
(g) The weather and physical conditions (e.g., terrain) in the location where the Missing Person may be and their preparedness to deal with those conditions (e.g., clothing, equipment, and/or experience), if known;
(h) Whether the Missing Person requires any essential medications;
(i) Whether the Missing Person has any physical illness, disability or mental health problems;
(j) The circumstances of any previous incidents of going missing (e.g., suffered harm while missing, previous designation as a HighRisk Missing Person by the same or another police service);
(k) Whether the behaviour is out of character for the Missing Person;
(l) Whether the Missing Person was scheduled to testify in court either as a witness or victim;
(m) Whether the Missing Person was involved in activities that may put them at increased risk of harm (e.g., sex trade, hitchhiking, gambling and/or transient lifestyle);
(n) Whether the Missing Person is associated to gangs or organized crime;
(o) Whether the Missing Person may have been involved in an accident or mishap;
(p) The length of time the person has been missing; and
(q) Any other circumstance or factor that leads the officer conducting the risk assessment to determine that the Missing Person may be at an increased risk of harm.

(7) The completed Missing Person Risk Assessment Template and decision regarding risk are approved by a supervisor and documented in the case file.

High-Risk Missing Person Investigations

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

(8) If the initial or ongoing risk assessment determines that a Missing Person investigation is a High-Risk Missing Person Investigation:

(a) Appropriate resources are immediately assigned;
(b) A senior ranking officer and the Missing Person Coordinator (see Standard (1) of 5.1.4 File Review and Monitoring (PDF, 133.6KB) are notified;
(c) The file is continuously and actively investigated;
(d) The file is scored and documented as a High-Risk Missing Person Investigation in PRIME; and
(e) The family/reportee are notified of the action to be taken, unless to do so would jeopardize the Missing Person or the investigation.

High-Risk Missing Person Investigations – foul play suspected

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

(9) In addition to Standard (8) above, if foul play is suspected, the investigation is assigned to a section or investigator responsible for major or serious crime investigations.

Non-high risk Missing Person investigations

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

(10) If the initial or ongoing risk assessment determines that a Missing Person investigation is not a High-Risk Missing Person Investigation:

(a) Appropriate resources are assigned;
(b) The Missing Person Coordinator is notified; and
(c) The family/reportee are notified of the action to be taken.

Ongoing risk assessment

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

(11) The level of risk is re-evaluated as an ongoing process throughout the investigation by the officer assigned to the investigation, for both high-risk and non-high risk Missing Person investigations, including at minimum:

(a) When new information pertaining to the Missing Person or their disappearance is obtained or received; and
(b) With the exception of investigations where the Missing Person is reasonably believed to have committed suicide, within 7 days of the start of the investigation.

(12) The ongoing risk assessment is based on the factors listed in Standard (6) above.

(13) Any decision to vary or change the level of risk must be reviewed by a supervisor, and documented in the case file, including updating PRIME scoring.

Policies and procedures

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

(14) Policies and procedures regarding Missing Persons are consistent with these BC Provincial Policing Standards.

Appendix

• Appendix “A” for BCPPS 5.1.2 – Risk Assessment (PDF, 201KB)