Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How will police appeal to find a missing person?
Officers can use a range of options to publicly appeal for information such as; local media outlets, social media platforms and charities like ‘Missing People.’
An appeal, regardless of whether it’s online or a larger campaign will usually have all of the following information.
- Name of the missing person
- A suitable recent photo
- Area missing from/last known location
- Date missing
- Age at disappearance
- Other helpful information, and a supportive message
- Reporting details
Why do you post social media appeals for missing persons?
We post social media appeals to reach a large, often targeted audience as quickly as possible. We have found that these types of online appeals receive a lot of attention and have resulted in information that has led to us locating missing persons safely in the past. Every minute counts when a person goes missing so we get information out to the public as quickly and as far reaching as possible.
Why do you continue to issue appeals for people that frequently go missing?
Our priority is to locate the missing person as quickly and safely as possible. Officers will appeal for information from the public in order to assist with this.
Do you post missing persons appeals for those wanted for criminal offences?
Each and every person for which an appeal is posted, must meet the definition of a missing person. ‘Wanted’ appeals for those we are trying to locate in connection with a potential criminal offence will be worded as such.
Why are most of the missing people in Northern Ireland under 18?
Actually, statistics in Northern Ireland would show that it is nearly a 50/50 split for missing children and adults.
Why do Police need to have eyes on an individual to declare them ‘not missing’?
Police must be totally satisfied that the missing person is safe and well, and can confirm their identity.