When a person in missing Support Kit

Step by step practical Kit for you to follow when someone goes missing.

1.0 When is a person missing

• 3 options for action
• Why contact Police

2.0 First Things First

• What the Police want to know

3.0 Essential Details

• Information to keep with you
• Missing person details
• Police contact details

4.0 Your Own Search

• Practical ideas to help you get started
• Where to start
• Ask around
• Keep accurate notes
• Practical ideas for going deeper
• Talk to people and keep in regular contact
• Show recent photo of missing person
• Important word about posters
• 2 simple poster templates
• Print off poster guideline templates
• Make your own poster
• Then what

5.0 Maintain Routines

• How to stay normal
• Your work life
• Your financial situation
• Your home life
• Your Privacy

6.0 Legal Essentials

• Your obligations
• Inform necessary people
• Cancel missing person activities
• Personal property
• If missing person lives alone
• If driving missing person’s car
• Finances
• For long-term missing seek legal advice

7.0 Keeping Healthy

• Your guide to good health
• Looking after you
• Psychological effects
• Emotional effects
• Physical effects
• Communicate with family and friends

8.0 Missing Overseas

• What to do and Who to contact
• Interpol information

9.0 The Media

• How to work with The Media
• What to expect
• The Media at your home

10.0 About you

• Record your feelings and thoughts

11.0 Downloads

• Poster photo guidelines
• Poster text guidelines
• Keep track of who you spoke to and what happened

Start here

Someone is not where you think they should be.
You are concerned.
You want to know what to do …

1.0 When is a person missing?

• You know best
• A person is missing when you think they are missing
• It will vary according to the situation
  For example:
  A toddler aged 2 to 3 years: it might be less than 1 hour
  A young person aged 11 to 14 years: it might be longer
• There are no official rules
• You are the best person to judge

1.1 Three options for action

If you have any concerns about someone’s safety you have 3 options:

1. Call Police on 111
2. Contact your nearest local Police station
3. Start your own search

• You are NOT wasting Police time
• You do NOT have to wait 24 hours to contact Police
• Just thinking someone is missing is a good enough reason to call Police

1.2 Why contact Police?

• Police are experts at finding missing persons.
• Police have the time, resources, personnel and systems in place
• Police do not judge you or the situation
• It is their job to help you

2.0 First things first

A family member or friend has gone missing.
You feel highly stressed and confused.
You need to know what to do.
You have come to the right place.

Before you start take a deep breath. Stay calm.

Most people reported missing in New Zealand are found within a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks.

Anything you tell the Police is strictly confidential.

Don’t worry about telling the Police personal or intimate details about the missing person or their lifestyle.

What you tell the Police helps find your missing person.

2.1 What the Police want to know: So they can find missing person quickly

3.0 Essential Details

Here are two forms to write essential details about missing person situation:

3.1 Missing person details

3.2 Police contact details

Keep these details close to you.
Why?
Because you will be asked these same questions often.

3.1 Information to keep with you: Missing person details

Full Name of Missing Person

Date of Birth

Age

Height

Eye Colour

Tattoos

Scars/ Birthmarks

Phone/ mobile

Last known address

When / Where last seen

Date Reported Missing

3.2 Information to keep with you: Police contact details

Police Station and Phone number

Officer Name / Badge number

Case Number / Reference number

File Name / File number

4.0 Searching on your Own: Practical ideas to get started

After telling Police about missing person you may want tostart your own search.

Why?

Because you want to help Police and you want to keep busy.

4.1 Where to start: Missing person’s home to check for clues

Go to missing person home and bedroom to look for:

• Wallet
• Mobile phone
• Handbag
• Passport

Notice anything missing:

• Clothing
• Jewelry
• Food
• Make up
• Camping equipment
• Suitcase
• Backpack

Search through personal belongings.

Check highlighted or recently added information.

You are looking for messages or clues about planning to leave.

• Address book
• Briefcase
• Diary
• Favourite book
• Laptop
• Magazines
• School bag

4.2 Go to places missing person likes to visit: Ask around

• Park
• Shopping centre
• Food outlet
• Bus stop
• Train station
• Pub
• Amusement arcade
• Gym
• Movie theatre
• Sports club
• Playground
• Library
• Somewhere missing person likes to go to be alone

4.3 Tell Police what you find out: Keep accurate notes

• Everything you find out is important to missing person search
• Even small details can make a difference
• Keep accurate notes

4.4 Searching on your own: Practical ideas for going deeper

Tell Police before starting your own deeper search.

Why?

Even small details can make a difference to Police activities.

4.5 Where to start: Talk to people and keep in regular contact

People who know missing person can turn up new information

Ask people to contact you if they hear anything at all.

Contact:

• Relatives close and distant
• Whanau
• Old friends
• New friends
• Workmates
• Neighbours
• School teachers
• Church members

4.6 Talk to local services: Show recent photo of missing person to

• Taxi drivers
• Bus drivers
• Train and ferry service operators
• School bus drivers
• Postman/Postwoman
• Garbage collectors
• Supermarkets and shop assistants
• Sports clubs
• Hospital emergency departments and hospital admissions
• Airport customs and airlines

Also:

• Salvation Army
• Soup kitchens
• Homeless shelters

Keep Police informed of all new information.

5.0 Maintain Routines: How to stay normal

There is a lot going on around you.

Here are 4 routines to help you take care of your life.

Why?

Because routines help you cope with what is happening.

5.1 Your work life

• Tell people at work about missing person situation
• Your boss or supervisor will understand you are stressed
• Discuss the possibility of time off work if you need it

5.2 Your financial situation

• Talk to family, bank manager, or financial advisor about possible extra money needed for
  • mortgage payments
  • rent and bills
  • unexpected travel
  • unexpected expenses
• Arrange for relative or close friend to help keep track of your finances for you

5.3 Your home life

• Have a family member or close friend stay in your home in case missing person makes contact or returns when you are out or asleep
• Try to stick to usual routines as much as possible, especially meal times for your young children
• Ask family or friends to help keep routines going at home when you are unable:
  • cleaning
  • laundry
  • preparing and cooking meals
  • homework
  • children’s bath and bed times
  • collecting mail
  • gardening
• Ask someone you trust to take your children to and from school and/or weekend activities when you are unable
• Tell neighbours not to be concerned if Police and/or Media are visiting your home

5.4 Your Privacy

Do not be tempted to put your own contact details on any posters you distribute.

Why?

Because you may get unwelcome attention from troublemakers, scammers and weirdos.

• Only provide Police contact details on posters
• You are not obliged to talk to psychics or clairvoyants who try to make contact. Some are genuine. Many are not.

6.0 Legal essentials: Your obligations on behalf of missing person

Some requirements do not apply right now, but may in the future.

6.1 Inform necessary people:

• Employers
• Business associates
• School
• Clubs

6.2 Cancel missing person activities:

• Social engagements
• Business appointments
• Travel plans

6.3 Personal property: If missing person lives alone

• Collect mail
• Feed pets
• Keep property clean and tidy

6.4 If driving missing person’s car

• Get correct insurances

6.5 Finances

• Arrange with family, bank manager or financial advisor for financial obligations to continue

6.6 For long-term missing seek legal advice

• Life insurance
• Superannuation
• Wills and Trust funds
• House and car
• All personal property

7.0 Keeping healthy: Looking after you

When a loved one is missing expect to experience a range of reactions and emotions.

Not everyone reacts or feels in the same way at the same time.

It is helpful to identify the effects you experience.

Why ?

Because you have permission to feel and express yourself.

7.1 Expect to experience some, or all of these Psychological effects:

• Slowed thinking
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Memory problems
• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Poor attention span
• Difficulties problem solving
• Loss of control
• The ‘what if’s’

7.2 Expect to experience some, or all of these Emotional effects:

• Fear
• Anger
• Frustration
• Guilt
• Blame
• Anxiety or panic
• Depression
• Sadness
• Irritability
• Numbness
• Withdrawing
• Wanting to hide
• Helplessness

7.3 Expect to experience some, or all of these Physical effects:

• Nausea
• Tremors
• Chills
• Sweating
• Lack of co-ordination
• Palpitations
• Chest pains
• High blood pressure
• Headaches
• Sleep disturbance
• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness
• Change in appetite
• Startled responses

7.4 Communicate with family and friends:.

• Allow yourself to feel the pain and be upset or angry
• Talk openly and honestly with people close to you about what you feel and what you are going through
• Get sleep, eat nutritious meals regularly and exercise lightly
• Retain routines and avoid making life changing decisions
• Be careful of using alcohol or drugs to alleviate pain
• Don’t blame yourself for what has happened
• If you need professional support get it from your own family doctor or contact registered professionals

8.0 Missing Overseas: What to do and who to contact

For any concerns about a missing person overseas contact Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade:

• Telephone: +64 4 439 8000
• Website: www.mfat.govt.nz

They may require a completed local Police missing person report. Police will complete this report when
you report missing person.

List of local NZ Police stations: https://www.police.govt.nz/contact-us/stations

Your completed report is forwarded by Police to Interpol Wellington requesting assistance in locating
missing person.

8.1 Additional information required by Interpol may include:

• Passport and visa details
• Dual nationality details
• Location/date of missing person last contact
• Flight numbers, dates, times
• Hotel contact details
• Locations visited
• Travel agencies used for bookings
• Backpacker or hostel details
• Mode of transport preferred
• Description of luggage, clothing
• Locations mentioned in emails, texts or phone
• Post codes on postcards or letters received
• Contact details of any travel companions
• Facebook address
• Possible reasons why contact has been broken

Inform MFAT if missing person makes contact or returns

9.0 The Media: How to work with the Media

Police often ask media outlets to print or broadcast details of missing persons.

Why?

Because members of the public remember and provide valuable information about missing persons.

Talk to Police about what to do and any concerns.

Why?

Because there may be missing person information Police do NOT want released as it hinders search.

9.1 Deciding to make a public appeal: What to expect

• Media need basic missing person details including physical description and last known contact
• Media need your permission to release images or footage
• Originals may not be returned so make or release copies
• If too overwhelmed appoint a relative, friend, or Police to speak for you
• Have a prepared statement to read
• You don’t HAVE to answer questions. Police can assist you
• Media may decide not to publish or broadcast your appeal
• Do not argue with journalists as you may need them later

9.2 The media at your home: How to handle the media

• Ask Police for advice if media want to interview you at home especially about how to answer possible difficult questions
• You do NOT have to invite media inside your home if you feel uncomfortable, or want to maintain personal privacy
• Do NOT give media personal possessions, valuable or precious items or original photos as there is no guarantee they will be returned
• If media is overly pushy tell them to be more respectful
• If media continues to be pushy end the interview
• Police can make clear to journalists, editors or chief-of-staff about your privacy wishes

10.0 About You: Record your own thoughts and feelings

Writing your thoughts and feelings can be a release and a comfort.

Here are suggested headings for recording thoughts and feelings:

• What happened
• My concerns
• Planning one day at a time
• Unanswered questions
• Confiding deep fears
• Life changes
• My emotions
• Missing person found
• What’s good in the world
• Love for missing person

Write about every topic, or write about one.

It’s up to you.

The majority of this support kit was originally compiled by Cynthia Coop in June 2011 for fFompa (Family & Friends of Missing Persons Aotearoa). The fFompa website has long since closed, but we felt the information should continue to be shared, as it may be of assistance to someone when they need it most.