LIFESTYLE NEWS - In this day and age, every second counts when a child or someone close to you goes missing.
Here are some life-saving tips if it does happen to you:
Alert: If you are in a mall or in a public area, alert security and management as quickly as possible. If your child has only just gone missing, it might be possible to seal off exits to the store you are in or to the entire shopping centre.
Police: If there is no reason to call the police to the place where the child went missing, you should make a report at your nearest police station.
Social media: Facebook and Twitter are extremely useful for making the public aware of missing children. You can post a photo, age and identifying information and contact details on your own social media profiles. But always report to police first.
What to produce when reporting to police:
- Produce a recent photograph of the missing person, if possible.
- Give a complete description of the missing person’s last whereabouts, clothes that they were wearing, as well as any other information that can assist the investigating officer.
- Complete and sign a SAPS 55(A) form. This form safeguards the SAPS from hoax reports and indemnifies the SAPS to distribute the photograph and information of the missing person.
- Obtain the investigating officer’s contact details, and send any additional information that might become available.
- If a missing person is found or returns voluntarily, inform the investigating officer immediately. A SAPS 92 form must be completed to inform the Bureau of Missing Persons that the missing person’s report can be removed from the circulation system.
