Missing persons investigation is a search to locate someone who has gone missing. We at North American Investigations have helped clients reconnect with loved ones that went missing upwards of fifty years ago. 사람찾기흥신소
It is important to report a missing person immediately. In reality, the waiting period portrayed in TV shows and movies does not exist.
Human Sources
When a person is reported missing police seek information about that individual from the people who know them best. This includes family and friends. Information such as the last known activities, hobbies and habits is also sought. This is known as a ‘lifestyle profile’ and can assist risk assessments, and also identify possible reasons (or hypotheses) for the disappearance.
Police public appeals can involve the media, social media and community notice boards to spread awareness of the case and encourage people to come forward with any information they have. Rewards are sometimes offered in high-profile cases. People with criminal intent or ill will may hire private investigators to locate missing persons and this is something police should monitor.
It has been demonstrated that the way a case is presented in the media affects the degree to which citizens engage in spontaneous searches. For example, stories of white victims with a body picture receive greater media attention than those of minority victims without a body picture (Gilchrist 2010; Lam and Kop 2020a, b). These differences can have unintended consequences.
Database Searches
In the United States, there are two primary databases for missing people — NCIC and NamUs. Both are used by law enforcement professionals, medical examiners and coroners, and the public. [2]
These systems contain information associated with both long-term missing persons and unidentified human remains. However, they are separate from each other. NCIC is a criminal justice database accessible only to authorized users, while NamUs is open to the general public. [3]
NamUs allows individuals to enter their own information and search the cases of other people who may have gone missing. This information is then made available to all law enforcement agencies that are members of the site. It is hoped that by allowing members of the public to access the database, more leads will be generated and cases solved. It also enables cold case specialists to compare data on missing and unidentified persons in one place. This is called a “cross-match.” The information from the two searches can then be shared between agencies and the public.
Social Media
The disappearance of a loved one can create an unsettling void that is both terrifying and heartbreaking. It can leave you with questions and doubts that you never thought you’d have.
There are several reasons why someone may go missing and not be located. In the US, missing persons cases fall into two categories: voluntarily missing individuals (e.g., runaways) and missing individuals against their will (e.g., abductions).
When a person goes missing, their family and friends turn to the police for help in finding them. This often leads to an investigation that results in a missing person case. However, sometimes this leads to a dead end and no evidence can be found. This is when the case becomes a cold case. A missing persons investigator can make a difference in these cases by using a variety of resources to uncover new leads. This includes paying informants, using social media, and searching databases.
Flow Charts
Flow charts are an excellent tool to use in the Missing persons investigation. They help you organize your research and keep track of all the avenues you are investigating, including those that have been explored already. You can also use them to examine your current processes and identify areas where improvements can be made.
In the initial stages of a missing person case there will be a lot of information to collate and several lines of enquiry to investigate. Creating a flow chart at the beginning of the process will make it easy for you to decide what to investigate first and what to consider later on.
One study found that only 50% of flow diagrams reported the number of participants included in the analysis, while many did not clearly state their reasons for exclusion. To improve this, it is suggested that authors distinguish more clearly between loss to follow up and the discontinuation of an intervention.