RECORDING and investigating reports of missing people takes up a considerable amount of time for police in Wyre Forest.
A missing person report does not normally result in an allegation of crime and thankfully in the vast majority of cases the subjects go missing of their own free will and return unharmed shortly after going.
However, when a missing person report first comes in, we have to keep an open mind. It may well be that as enquiries progress, we discover that a crime has taken place or that a person has gone missing with the intention of harming themselves.
Missing people are graded as high, medium or low risk, and the response varies from case to case but our priority is to provide a professional service, reacting quickly and effectively to a reported disappearance with a view to returning vulnerable people to a safe environment and ensuring the well being of those who aren’t vulnerable.
Consideration is given to liaising with organisations such as the National Missing Persons Helpline, a registered charity which can be contacted on freecall 0500 700 700.
One of the most important considerations for the police when investigating missing persons is providing support to the immediate family and close friends, who may be under immense pressure, and in exceptional cases a Family Liaison Officer may be appointed.
The community plays an important role helping the police to locate missing people, often responding to media appeals by providing vital information on possible sightings.
The number of missing people changes from hour to hour but at the time of writing there were 14 people recorded as missing across the West Mercia force area, including three on North Worcestershire division.
One of these is Damian Tudge who went missing from his Kidderminster home on November 14 in his blue Peugeot 205, registration number J221UHP.
To date there has been no confirmed sightings of Mr Tudge or the vehicle and police are continuing to appeal for anyone with information to ring 0300 333 3000.
CHIEF INSPECTOR JIM BAKER, KIDDERMINSTER POLICE
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