Missing persons 368/2024
FOI Reference: 368/2024
Request:
I am conducting a scoping literature review to answer the question: ‘What approaches have been employed by the police to improve MP investigations, while considering the existing views and attitudes of police personnel on these approaches?’
As such, I am looking to synthesise information relevant to the question mentioned above to provide a clear insight about the police strategies and tools when officers are called to investigate missing persons. The findings of my literature review will provide empirical evidence on the police approaches practically led to the enhancement of missing persons investigations coupled with the views of police officers on these approaches that echo critical points in terms of their practical efficacy and usefulness. This will open the pathway of further relevant research, which findings will be beneficial for both the police forces and the academic fields of psychology, sociology, criminology and public policy.
To this end, I would like to request any relevant information either the UK police forces or researchers maintain on non-peer-reviewed literature (grey). This might concern police authority studies, reports, evaluations or even conference papers of the following information:
- Police practices for effectively investigating missing person enquiries spanning from the initial stage (e.g. evaluation of risk assessment approach) to the point where a person is found (e.g. reports regarding the Police Prevention Interview)
- Police practices for the main searching activity during missing persons investigations (e.g. evaluating the effectiveness of various operational models such as dedicated missing persons teams, CID, CSE teams)
- Police approaches in terms of tools used to locate missing persons in a timely fashion (e.g. GPS systems, social media platforms).
- Police strategies utilised to effectively manage risk –e.g. guidance and operational directions provided to distribute response proportionate to the classification of risk (no apparent risk, low, medium, high).
- Police officers’ experiences, views and perceptions of the usefulness and effectiveness of these strategies, tactics or tools.
- Cost effectiveness of police practices in missing persons investigations (e.g. evaluation of the cost vs the successful outcomes achieved by using GPS tracking software, DNA analysis, or social media platforms
Responses 1 – 4:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested; however the following exemption has been applied to that information:
Section 21 – Information reasonably accessible by other means
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires -Powys Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
The above exemption has been applied in relation to the whole request, due to the fact that the requested information is published and can be accessed via the following hyperlinks -
Missing person policy 442/2022 | Dyfed-Powys Police
missing-person-policy (dyfed-powys.police.uk)
Missing persons | College of Policing
Response 5:
The request does not constitute a valid request under section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act, therefore for the reasons outlined below; the request cannot be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Section 8 of the Act provides:
(1) In this Act any reference to a "request for information" is a reference to such a request which-
(a) is in writing,
(b) states the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence, and
(c) describes the information requested.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), a request is to be treated as made in writing where the text of the request-
(a) is transmitted by electronic means,
(b) is received in legible form, and
(c) is capable of being used for subsequent reference.
A request under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) is required by statute to describe the information requested, in terms of recorded information held by Dyfed-Powys Police, as defined by Section 8(1)(c).
The Freedom of Information Act provides the right of access to recorded information only. It does not require a public authority to answer direct or hypothetical questions or provide comment or opinion, unless recorded information exists which could itself answer such questions.
It is apparent from the request that comment/opinion is being sought in relation to your request; and therefore does not relate to recorded information.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (2000) this response represents a Refusal Notice for this part of your request under Section 8(1)(c) of the Act.
Response 6:
I can confirm that there is no information held by Dyfed-Powys Police due to the fact that no study has been undertaken to measure the cost effectiveness in the way suggested within the request, therefore there are no documents to share.
It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 26/04/2024)