Information on Missing Persons Unit

Each year, police record over 100,000 missing persons in Canada. In the overwhelming majority of cases, missing persons are located within a very short period of time – usually within days of the disappearance.

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The majority of missing persons are located within three days; most are located within 24 hours of being reported missing.

At any given time, approximately eighty people are listed as missing in Winnipeg. Currently, the Winnipeg Police Service Missing Persons Unit investigates more than 5,000 cases each year. The majority of missing persons are located within three days; most are located within 24 hours of being reported missing.

Missing Persons cases include:

  1. Runaway youths
  2. Voluntarily missing adults
  3. Wandered/Alzheimer patients
  4. Parental abductions where there is immediate danger to the child
  5. Non-family abductions
  6. Unknown circumstances
  7. Unusual/suspicious circumstances

The Missing Persons Unit handles requests to try and locate people.

Endangered Missing Persons:

The Missing Persons Unit classifies some incidents involving missing persons as Endangered Missing Person incidents. An Endangered Missing Person is defined as:

  1. A person who is reported to possess a physical or mental disability
  2. A person who is elderly or very young
  3. A person who is dependent on prescription medications
  4. A person who is unfamiliar with the city

Persons reported to engage in a high-risk lifestyle or those associated with violent behaviour are also considered endangered. The perceived risk to a missing person can also be elevated through environmental conditions.

A Risk Assessment is conducted on every reported missing person and, if the assessment dictates, a uniform car will be dispatched to begin the investigation. Depending on the circumstances, members of the Missing Persons unit may be called upon to assist or lead the investigation.

If you believe your loved one is at risk and should be considered an Endangered Missing Person, ensure you share ALL relevant information with police immediately when giving your report.

Missing Children:

Most of the persons reported missing are under 18 years of age. Running away is the most common explanation of why children go missing from their place of residence. Unfortunately, children that run away expose themselves to a variety of risks, which may include being exploited by others.

Custody disputes also result in children being reported missing or abducted. Detectives in the ‘district of occurrence’ (where the event happened) normally investigate these reports unless the
child is in immediate danger of bodily harm. In these cases, and others where the safety of the child is an issue or it is believed that the child is to be taken out of the province, or country, detectives from the Missing Persons unit will investigate.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection offers various services to families of missing children.

General Information on Reporting a Missing Person:

It is not a crime to be missing. Adults can choose to leave home and cut off all contact with friends and family. This means law enforcement is limited in what it can do in these situations. Even if law enforcement locates a missing person, they cannot divulge any information about that person without specific permission from that person.

Remember: There is no 24-hour waiting period to report a person missing.

If there is some indication of foul play or something suspicious, contact police immediately at 9-1-1. If foul play is not suspected, and the person has gone missing, contact the Missing Persons Unit at (204) 986-6250 and provide the following information:

MISSING CHILDREN (UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE)

  1. Information about the child’s school and teachers and whether or not the school was contacted and checked.
  2. A current photo of the missing child. This may be used by police when issuing a media release and helps officers identify the missing person.
  3. A description of the child, including date of birth, age, physical description and clothing worn when last seen.
  4. The time and place where the missing person was last seen and by whom.
  5. The names, addresses and phone numbers of friends and whether or not they have been checked prior to reporting the person missing.
  6. A list of possible hangouts or locations that the child may have gone and whether or not those locations have been checked.
  7. If the missing person requires any medications: Find out if they have the medications with them. How often they need to take the medication

seen so many sisters,

taken from our home

my heart is breaking

my hands are shaking

cause I feel scared inside

I won’t let it show

and they won’t

take my pride

Excerpt from The Highway, a song written and recorded with students of ‘na Aksa Gyilak’yoo School In Kitsumkalum First Nation, British Columbia. The title refers to Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert, now known as the Highway Of Tears. This verse is sung by Annalee Parker.

ADULTS (18 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER)

  1. A current photo of the missing person. This may be used by police when issuing a media release and helps officers identify the missing person.
  2. A description of the person including the date of birth, age, physical description and clothing worn when last seen.
  3. The names, addresses and phone numbers of friends and whether or not they have been checked prior to reporting the person missing.
  4. Check all the hospitals prior to contacting police.
  5. A list of possible hangouts or locations that the adult may have gone and whether or not these locations have been checked.
  6. If the missing person requires any medications: Find out if they have the medications with them. How often they need to take the medication.
  7. Ensure the missing person is not at work prior to contacting police.