Nobody expects to have their loved one go missing. Whether it is your friend, neighbor and/or community member, what you do in the event of your loved one vanishing can directly impact the likelihood they will be found. Contacting the authorities is the utmost important step an individual can take once you have realized someone has gone missing. But what happens next is critical. Is there evidence of foul play? Is there any indication of where they went? Who they went with? Is this out of character?
All too often we deal with case after case where there is no evidence of a crime and also NO evidence of where the individual has gone and what happened. In this scenario it is imperative that you make sure all avenues of evidence discovery is exhausted. Time is of the essence to beat the streets and collect video, cctv, interview friends, interview employer, interview significant others, interview absolutely everyone to uncover any potential leads before the videos gets erased or written over. Interview individuals before they disappear or forget. Simply relying on law enforcement can severely hinder finding your loved one. Law enforcement has to justify their use of resources and if there is no evidence of foul play etc then hardly nothing is gonna be done in finding your loved one. immediately utilize social media platforms to spread awareness and solicit volunteers. Volunteers are the single most important aspect of search and rescue & search and recovery. Many departments are limited in their resources and volunteers are the unsung heroes for any search. Non profit organizations are a huge tool as well to garner help. reach out and do not stop reaching out. Have flyers printed and make sure they're detailed as to date, time, description, clear photograph of the missing, title the flyer as MISSING and have these handed out everywhere. Solicit print shops. Many printing companies will do this for you for FREE. Relentlessness is imperative. Do not give up and do not lose hope. This can be overwhelming to a lot of people but the last thing you want to do is regret not doing this. I have worked with so many families that simply relied on law enforcement only to have nothing done because there was nothing to go off of. Law enforcement usually wants time to go by before they dive into a case and like I said before, If there's no evidence for them to easily obtain, very little will be done. In cases where there is evidence of a forced entry and or foul play then resources will be used in full force. But this is rare. Most missing person cases have very little to go off of if anything at all.
Get out there and beat the streets. Never give up and be RELENTLESS! Relentlessness to accomplish the impossible, makes it possible.
Disclaimer: USC encourages everyone to use their best judgement when making decisions. This is not legal advice but rather opinionated experience. Consult with an attorney or law enforcement prior to making any decisions. Missing person predicaments are very complex in nature. Become as educated as you can be.
Ambassador: Doug Bishop