No waiting period to report a missing person
The number of cases of missing persons that are reported in the media daily is alarming.
What is even more alarming is the fact that the missing person’s family and loved ones report in the media that they approached the local police for assistance, but were told to wait anything from 24 hours to two weeks before the SAPS could assist in the search for the missing person.
In most cases, children are the victims.
It might be that the majority of them are runaways, but that does not mean that the members of the SAPS can sit back and relax hoping for their voluntary return.
The police will only know if someone who is reported as missing was subjected to criminal activity when that person or the forensically proven remains of that person are found.
Therefore, immediate action by the SAPS is of the utmost importance in order to fulfil their mandate, namely to protect and safeguard the citizens of South Africa.
In most of these cases, the family and loved ones will probably be the first ones to realise that the individual is missing.
The fact of the matter is that nobody will know what happened to that person until he/she is found and even if a child ran away from home, it will also be the SAPS’s mandate to investigate why this child decided to leave their so-called “safe” environment and take to the streets.
Perhaps abuse or neglect was involved, which will again constitute a crime to be investigated by the SAPS.
Police officials must encourage the public to report all missing persons to the nearest police station as soon as possible, as the chances of finding the missing person is then better.
There is no waiting period to report any person as missing to the SAPS.
A reporter of such an incident must be requested to:
q produce a recent photograph of the missing person, if available, and basic information about the missing person. The absence of a photograph does not necessarily mean that an investigation cannot be conducted. It only means that the help of the general public, by distributing flyers and so on will have to wait until a photograph is found or an ID kit is compiled;
* complete and sign an SAPS 55(A) form, including the ”Acceptance of Liability” part, which will help to safeguard the SAPS from hoax reports and put the responsibility on the reporter to inform the SAPS should such a missing person return voluntarily. It also indemnifies the SAPS to distribute the photograph and information of the missing person;
* stay in contact with the investigating official of the missing person’s case and to forward any information that might become available to him/her as soon as possible.
Police members must take note that an SAPS 92 form must be used when a missing person is found. Once it has been sent to the Provincial Bureau for Missing Persons, it will affect the cancellation of the relevant circulation on the circulation system.
Police stations and special units are encouraged to engage in proactive programmes to create awareness in their communities regarding important aspects, such as the whereabouts of their loved ones, especially children and the elderly.
* Information obtained from SAPS Journal Online.
