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Police Operational Issues
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where did the idea come from?
The web site was originally started in America by the National Centre
for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) which is a government
funded not for profit organisation. In the US, it is now used by over
17,000 police forces in America. The intention is that it will eventually
be used worldwide by police services.
2. What safeguards are built in to the site?
All hits on the site are logged and can be tracked back to the originating
computer. The site has been running for some time in America and there
is no evidence of the site being used by predatory paedophiles etc.
The information on the site is on two levels: a public domain and
police domain. The police side is protected by password and encryption
technology that has proved highly resistant to 'hackers'. Part of
the reason for the roll out via regions is to ensure tight quality
control of entries. The Police National Missing Persons Bureau based
at New Scotland Yard, evaluates, monitors and quality-assures the
website.
3. What types of cases are suitable for the site?
The only hard and fast rule is that the child must have been under
18 at the time of going missing. The final decision about placing
the child on the website will be made by the officer in the case based
on an assessment of risk both to the child and to others. The earlier
a child is put on the site, the earlier police forces and the public
can have access to easily printable posters and information about
the missing child.
For long term missing children, photographs
can be age-progressed.
4. Who do I need to contact within my police force to place pictures
and information on the website?
Only certain 'hub-forces' have the capability to do this. These 'hub
forces', based on ACPO regions are Avon and Somerset Constabulary,
Greater Manchester Police, Northamptonshire Police, Hertfordshire
Constabulary, Lancashire Constabulary, Police Service of Northern
Ireland, The Metropolitan Police Service, South Wales Police, South
Yorkshire Police, West Midlands Police, and the Police National Missing
Persons Bureau. The appropriate contact details can be obtained from
the ACPO Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of
Missing Persons.
5. What is the process for getting a child on the site?
Under normal circumstance, before a child can be placed on the site,
the parent or guardian must sign a Consent
Form. The investigating officer for the case must also agree that
this is a suitable case for the site. Once it is approved, non-hub
forces must transfer relevant details and the photograph of the child
to their local hub force by the best available means. The hub site
can receive email documents and images as part of its function. The
simplest answer is for forces to contact the hub point manager and
agree the data transfer process.
In order to feature a case on the website, the hub force needs to have:
Copy
of missing person report
Good
head and Shoulder picture of child
Completed
consent form
6. Is this site supported by other organisations involved in work
with missing persons?
Yes. The site has the support of the Children's Society, the National
Missing Persons Helpline, NSPCC, Miss Dorothy web safety advocates,
the Salvation Army and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
7. How can I print a poster from the web site?
To print a poster of any child featured on the web site, simply click
on the View Poster text on the page containing the information about
the missing child. This will automatically generate the format for
the poster.
Follow the on-screen prompt to Page Set-up in your file menu and remove
all headers and footers that your internet programme may generate.
Select 'Landscape' as the paper size/format.
The poster can then be printed in black & white or colour, depending
on your printer.
To print in a foreign language, the initial search for the child must
be done in that language. On the search page, use the drop down field
to select the required language.
Police guide
'Guide for Forces on the Use of the Missing Children Website' - download
the guide (.pdf)
Home Office Research
'Using the Internet as a Policing Tool to Find Missing Children'
- download
the report (.pdf)
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