THERE IS NO WAITING PERIOD TO REPORT ANY PERSON AS MISSING TO THE SAPS: There have been a lot of missing person reports of late. Each time the family and loved ones are deeply traumatised by the fear of where the person is and if they are in danger. Unfortunately some people watch too much American TV and there is still a belief that there is a magic 24 hours waiting period before reporting a matter to the Police. This is completely false and must be ignored. This however does not mean you rush to the SAPS because your buddy doesnt answer his phone, mind you. The reasonable person would exhaust reasonable methods to trace the person and if it is a true belief that the person is in fact missing, the Police welcome the reporting to aid in investigation and locating. When you report a missing person to the Police, please try bring a recent photograph of the missing person, if available, and basic information about the missing person. If you dont have a photograph it doesnt mean that an investigation cannot be conducted. It only means that the help of the general public, by distributing flyers, etc, will have to wait until a photograph is found or an ID kit is compiled. The person reporting the matter must complete and sign an SAPS 55(A) form, including the “Acceptance of Liability” part, which will help to safeguard the SAPS from hoax reports and put the responsibility on the reporter to inform the SAPS if the missing person returns voluntarily. It also indemnifies the SAPS to distribute the photograph and information of the missing person to the public. There is no fee to be paid. The tracing of missing persons is part and parcel of the SAPS function and detectives at each station are dedicated to this activity. What happens then is the case is immediately registered and a circulation number is received from 10111. The details and description are circulated on all channels of the SAPS radio to all vehicles. The circulation is often repeated to the following shift. A detective signs for the docket and initial investigation is conducted. This depends largely on the amount of information that has been put in the case file. The more phone numbers, places regularly visited, location of friends and family, even out of town, given will greatly help. The detective will start visiting these locations and show the photo to locals to see who has last seen the person. They weave a bit more of their dark magic and very often, information comes to them about the whereabouts of the person. In the interim, as soon as possible, staff such as myself get the details and put them out to media and press. As you have seen, even this medium. The wider accurate information is spread, the better the likelihood of finding the person or someone reporting a sighting. (Similarly, as soon as the person is confirmed found, the circulation should cease and all role players informed as such.) During the investigation, please stay in contact with the investigating official of the missing person’s case and forward any fresh information that might become available as soon as possible. Finally, please contact the investigating officer if the missing person returns on their own or is found. If the SAPS find the person, they will inform the next of kin or reporting person straight away. Of late too there have been a disturbing amount of false cases of missing persons. This fact must not dissuade a loved on of a current missing person from reporting the case, as it cannot affect them or us, the SAPS from investigating each matter on its own merit. A large amount of Police resources are allocated to missing persons. We dont really like it when it turns out the person was not really missing, but went on a joy ride. However, each case, upon reporting, will receive our full attention.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 06:25:59 +0000
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