New partnerships expand missing persons presence on the web
THE Met is part of a partnership working to improve the UK’s success with finding missing people.
The Police National Missing Persons Bureau (PNMPB), based at New Scotland Yard, has launched a website offering advice and assistance concerning missing people to officers and the public.
The bureau receives reports from across the UK on people who have been missing for 14 days or sooner if the missing person is vulnerable, records any bodies unidentified after 48 hours and maintains an index of people who are in regular contact with police but unwilling to identify themselves.
Profile
The PNMPB also manages the UK missing children website which helps officers publicise cases of missing children. It has instant national exposure, and officers or parents can print posters from it. The website is a partnership between the police, private sector and the voluntary sector.
According to Home Office figures, there are 4,500 people from the UK on the long-term missing persons register and about another 2,000 people go missing every year. Ninety-five per cent of them are found or return home.
PNMPB manager Davinia Darch said the bureau is a valuable resource to police all over the country.
She said: “The website will enable the bureau to raise awareness among police officers and forces of our key functions and their responsibilities.
“It is part of a growing modernisation programme within the bureau and we hope the website will help the PNMPB towards its goal of becoming the centre of excellence for the investigation of missing persons.”
Whenever someone goes missing in the UK the PNMPB should be sent a report by the investigating officer – as the bureau is based in the Met they can pick up London-based cases from the Merlin system. The PNMPB also works closely with the Met Missing Persons Bureau.
Intelligent
It means PNMPB staff can cross reference cases when appeals for information come from both UK and international police forces and Interpol.
The PNMPB uses descriptions, photographs and dental records to make possible links between people on its system and relies on officers keeping it up to date on cases to remain effective.
The website also has advice for members of the public on how to report a missing person or trace family members, links to other sites and general information.
Visit www.missingpersons.police.uk and www.missingkids.co.uk
Road freight gets
own crime website
A WEBSITE has been launched by the SCD6 National Road Freight Crime Intelligence Unit to encourage closer links with the police, drivers and industry partners.
TruckPol, part of SCD5, teamed up with international vehicle tracking company Eurowatch to launch the site, which includes crime prevention advice both for the depot and on the road.
Det Sgt Mark Hooper, from TruckPol, said: “The website has been developed as part of an initiative by the Joint Action Group on Lorry Theft to provide an effective means of passing and receiving advice and information quickly, making best use of the eyes and ears of people who spend most of their time out on the road.
Initiative
“It is a good example of police and private sector co-operation and we received actionable intelligence within days of the site going live.
“I would encourage anyone investigating an offence involving trucks or the haulage industry to contact us.”
Visit www.truckpol.com
New Crimestoppers
‘most wanted’ site
THE UK’s first combined national and local most wanted persons website has been launched by Crimestoppers.
It means borough officers in London will be able to feature their own suspects on both the Met and Crimestoppers sites and increase the number of people likely to see the appeals.
In the first two hours of the Crimestoppers site going live, 200,000 people logged on.
Det Insp David Hurley, who oversees the Met’s wanted website, called on officers to continue sending details of suspects to the site.
He said: “People might be more willing to call Crimestoppers than Scotland Yard, and while lots of callers do not know the individual they are reporting, the more leads we get the greater the likelihood of us catching that person.”
The Crimestoppers site was created as there was no single place for the police to share information with the public about wanted criminals. It can be updated by individual police forces.
Det Supt Sean Cunningham, from covert policing, said: “The Crimestoppers most wanted site provides an opportunity for the public and police to work together in a unique way.
“Having this as a source of information on wanted criminals will make it easier for the public to assist police and contribute to making their communities safer.”
To add a suspect to either website, contact Scotland Yard’s Wanted – SCD10 via AWARE. Crimestoppers most wanted can be found at www.mostwanted-uk.org