File Review and Monitoring

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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.

Case Review:  An examination of the administrative management and operational aspects of an investigation including the nature and quality of the investigation and the evidence.

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 the Standard (1) of BCPPS 5.1.4 File Review and Monitoring of these BC Provincial Policing Standards.

Standards

Missing Person Coordinator

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

(1) A Missing Person Coordinator is designated at the police service, detachment or district level and is responsible for:

(a) Knowing the status of all open Missing Person investigations within the police service’s jurisdiction;
(b) Ensuring that there is always an active lead investigator for all Missing Person investigations within the police service’s jurisdiction;
(c) Maintaining and making available to member of the police service, a list of local resources and suggested checks to assist in Missing Person investigations; and
(d) Liaising with the BC Police Missing Persons Centre (BCPMPC).

(2) The Missing Person Coordinator is notified of all the Missing Person reports within the police service’s jurisdiction.

Supervision of open investigations

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

(3) All open investigation of Missing Persons, including foul play suspected cases investigated by major crimes or serious crimes unit, are subject to regular, documented supervision (see also Standard (8) of BCPPS 5.1.2 Risk Assessment).

(4) The supervision under Standard (3) above must occur, at minimum:

(a) Daily for the first 48 hours of the investigation;
(b) Weekly for the first 30 days of the investigation;
(c) Three months from the start of the investigation; and  
(d) Every 12 months thereafter.

(5) The supervision under Standard (3) above must include, at a minimum, consideration of:

(a) Whether the risk assessment and the level and type of resources applied to the investigation (included lead investigator) are appropriate;
(b) Whether investigative leads and tasks and database checks are being conducted/followed up by the investigator;
(c) Whether the investigation is being properly documented;
(d) Whether the family/reportee of the Missing Person are being kept informed of the progress of the investigation;
(e) Whether a BC Coroners Service Missing Persons Query form should be completed;
(f) Whether all relevant fields currently available on CPIC have been completed;
(g) Appropriate diary dates; and
(h) Tasks to be assigned to the investigator.

Case Review - foul play suspected

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

(6) In addition to regular supervision required under Standard (3) above, open investigations where foul play is suspected are subject to a formal Case Review, overseen by an appointed reviewer within a major crimes or serious crimes unit, at minimum:

(a) Within 5-7 days of the start of the investigation;
(b) Between 6-8 weeks of the start of the investigation; and
(c) In conjunction with the timing of the annual supervision under Standard (4)(d) above.

(7) Intentionally left blank.

Policies and procedures

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

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