Data recorded for missing children in 2021

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.029505

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. The number of children recorded as missing by the force in 2021
2. A breakdown of the ages, ethnicities and genders of each child recorded as missing in 2021
3. The cost so far of each missing child investigation started in 2021, identifying which costs relate to which child

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

These searches successfully located some of information relevant to your request. I have attached an excel spreadsheet with the answers to questions 1 and 2.

Please note there are three separate tabs within the spreadsheet, titled cover sheet, notes and table. The notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to ensure the report is interpreted correctly.

Question 3 cannot be answered. The reasons why are explained in the section below.

Reason for decision - COSTS

The MPS does not hold data in relation to the cost so far of each missing child investigation started in 2021. This is due to that fact that there are numerous variables that can affect the cost of each investigation and therefore these elements cannot be quantified.

Typically the cost in dealing with an investigation will be influenced by the following factors:
1. The length of time it takes for an officer to create a Merlin (this will vary based on its length, and how fast an officer is at recording the incident).
2. The number of officers who deal with the investigation.
3. The rank of the officers involved in the investigation (as these officers may be on different salaries)
4. The number and nature of the assests used to investigate the missing child (i.e. vehicles or other assets)
5. The nature of the investigation can affect the duration of the case (the investigation could involve speaking to family members and witnesses, which would take much longer to investigate then an incident where a sole parent is spoken to).

The investigation of missing children

All of the factors above would affect the costs incurred in recording and dealing with a report of a missing child investigation. This list is not exhausive, but it does provide some reasons why your request can not be fulfilled, as this data is not held by the MPS.

The investigation of missing children is treated with the utmost seriousness and we have teams in every local policing area dedicated to the task of locating people who go missing.

We take the investigation of missing people incredibly seriously and have teams in every local policing area dedicated to the task of locating people who go missing. To give you a sense of scale, In 2021/22, the Met received 41,852 missing incidents, of which 64% were children. The largest single age group of missing children is 17 year olds.

On receipt of a missing person report, an initial record (a CAD) will be passed from the control room to the relevant local policing team where it is reviewed by an Inspector. For each reported missing person we will seek to identify what the risk factors are and therefore what the likely level of risk posed is – giving the case a risk grading (high, medium or low). This includes considering factors such as any potential criminality, exploitation, mental health and suicidal intent. We’re always really conscious that at the extreme end of risk our response may prevent a homicide, or help recover someone subject to domestic abuse, forced marriage or child abduction.

This formal assessment informs the action we then take and how we ensure that with such a high number of missing people reports each day that we are able to make the difficult decisions about ensuring the cases that appear to have the highest risk get resources prioritised. Officers use a set of criteria based on proven experience of locating and recovering low, medium and high risk missing people. For example, a person who has been reported as missing from a single home address and has not used their phone for a prolonged period of time would raise more red flags than someone who is known to still be active on their phone, and to spend time between two addresses. Whatever the risk grading the family of the missing person will be kept updated on the decision to officially record the person as ‘missing’ and on the operational activity throughout the investigation.

Low and medium risk cases within the initial 48 hours are managed within our 24/7 emergency response teams, whilst high-risk cases are subject to senior detective oversight with all appropriate local and specialist officers deployed to try to find the missing person. Cases remaining open beyond 48 hours will transfer to the relevant local Missing Persons Unit for continued, dedicated investigation.

Officers involved in missing people investigations are required to highly document each action and development in each case so that supervisors can ensure that all relevant actions and reviews of risk are regularly occurring and where needed a new risk rating given with increased investigative resource.

We are also working proactively with partners to identify where there are opportunities to reduce the potential for people going missing. This includes diverting people away from county lines drug dealing, supporting partners in reacting to mental health cases and continuing to tackle modern slavery.

A good example of this preventative work is that we know suburban areas on the outskirts of the MPS tend to find higher numbers of social care placements, foster placements, adult residential care and hospitals. All of these contribute to a large number of missing person cases in these areas so we have worked with partner organisations, such as local councils in these areas, to address the large number of repeat cases, including of children reporting missing from care placements. Our initial work in this area has resulted in a reduction of 29% of missing person cases across the MPS – really crucial in helping to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are better protected.