Prevention, Intervention and Outreach Regarding Missing Persons

Print or save as PDF 

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.

Indigenous Child and Family Service Agency: An Indigenous community serving agency that has established a delegation agreement with the Provincial Director of Child Welfare to undertake administration of all or parts of the Child, Family and Community Service Act.

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.

---

Standards

Extra standard of care required for found Missing Persons under the age of 19

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

(1) Consideration is given to conducting an interview with found Missing Persons under the age of 19 in an effort to determine:

(a) Any requirements for follow up investigation; and
(b) Any resources or assistance that could be offered to help promote the minor’s safety or prevent them from going missing again.  

Child protection authorities

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

(2) The police service has protocols in place with Ministry of Children and Family Development authorities and Delegated Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies (where relevant), to facilitate Missing Person investigations involving youth in local group homes and foster care.

(3) The police service has protocols in place to refer found Missing Persons under the age of 19 to child protection authorities for assessment of their needs, where appropriate.

Indigenous liaison

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

(4) The police service has access to at least one of the following means to obtain advice or assistance during Missing Person investigations where the Missing Person is Indigenous:

(a) An Indigenous liaison officer; or
(b) An officer from a federal First Nations Policing Program Community Tripartite Agreement or Quadpartite Agreement; or
(c) Local Indigenous leaders or organizations, through written protocol or agreement.

Protocols with other agencies

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

(5) Protocols are in place with local mental health facilities, hospitals and nursing homes to facilitate Missing Person investigations involving patients or residents.

Frequent reports involving the same individual

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

(6) If frequent reports involving the same individual are identified, the police service identifies mitigating strategies, in conjunction with relevant local agencies or resources.

Suspicious links between cases

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

(7) If links between cases are suspected at any time during an investigation, or as a result of aggregate analysis, the police service:

(a) Notifies the BC Police Missing Persons Centre (BCPMPC); and
(b) Identifies any additional action to be taken or procedures to be followed when a Missing Person report involving similar characteristics is received by the police service.

Public awareness of the Missing Person reporting and investigation process

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

(7.1) Information about Missing Persons is available on the police service’s public website, including at minimum:

(a) How to report a Missing Person, including that there is no waiting period to make a report and that anyone can make a report (e.g., non-family members;
(b) A description or examples of the information that may be requested to assist police with the risk assessment and investigative process;
(c) How members of the public may provide, or seek, information about an ongoing Missing Person investigation; and
(d) Information about support services and resources related to Missing Persons, including local victim services and links to relevant Provincial or National websites.

(7.2) The link to the information referred to under Standard (7.1) above can be easily located on the main page of the police service’s or RCMP detachment’s website.

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.