A missing person investigation once depended on door-knocking, radio appeals and hours of manual searching. Today, modern technology, social media and artificial intelligence have given police a far wider range of tools.
With more information at their fingertips, officers are now better equipped than ever to locate missing people quickly and bring them home to safety.
The Independent spoke to Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for missing people, about how advances in technology are transforming investigations.
“Technological advances have improved the ability of the police to locate vulnerable missing people quicker, and it is anticipated that future advancements will reduce the number of missing people who are never found,” he said.
Alongside the charity Missing People, The Independent is aiming to raise £165,000 to launch SafeCall, a free new service to help the 70,000 children reported missing each year find support and safety, no matter what.
Donate here or text SAFE to 70577 to give £10 to Missing People – enough for one child to get help.
Search and rescue
Police are using data-driven analysis to map the behaviour of missing people, helping them predict how far someone might travel and where they are most likely to be found. Automatic number plate recognition systems and vehicle trackers can also help police if the person missing is believed to be in a vehicle.
The use of drones has revolutionised search operations, allowing officers to survey large or inaccessible areas at a much lower cost than helicopter deployment, Mr Miller said. Forces can now run multiple aerial searches at once, speeding up the process and sending them to areas in conditions that may not be safe for helicopters.
Sonar technology and underwater specialist equipment have also become vital for police, who are able to detect missing people or related objects such as clothing in rivers and lakes.
Digital devices
Mobile phones have become one of the most powerful tools in a missing person investigation. AI systems can analyse vast amounts of cell site data to pinpoint a person’s location, while social media and push notifications allow police to alert the public within minutes.
Amy Walker, the head of digital campaigns at Missing People, said social media has enabled police and charities to reach larger audiences: “It's not just whoever has picked up the newspaper or whoever has watched that TV show. It's whoever's following your local police force, and of course, the power of sharing on social media.”
Mr Miller said: “Virtually everyone leaves a footprint, especially in the digital world. Smartphones, messaging apps, and live video apps all provide opportunities to contact the missing person to offer them assistance and give them the opportunity to disclose their location.”
Open-source intelligence – scanning public posts and online data – has become a key part of modern searches. Police also use Missing People’s TextSafe service, which sends messages directly to missing individuals, offering confidential helpline support for those not yet ready to speak to police.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to become a stronger tool in searching for missing people. Police use facial recognition to scan hours of CCTV footage that would otherwise take officers hours to review.
Mr Miller said: “Even if there has not been a known sighting, rapid video analytics capability technology can review hours of CCTV footage in minutes using facial recognition to find potential matches of a missing person, or by using object recognition to find potential matches of a distinctive item of clothing that the missing person was wearing.
“The analysis of data has enabled models to be developed to predict the most likely places a missing person might be found, their likely time missing, and the distance they have travelled. Artificial intelligence can be used to track the route taken by a missing person after their last sighting.”
Police are also using AI to quickly analyse large amounts of data to identify any risk factors, signs of exploitation, networks of vulnerable missing people, or potential exploiters.
AI expert Dr Varuna De Silva, from Loughborough University, said: “Being able to detect patterns in sensor data streams through machine learning will revolutionise such detection capability.
“One of the emerging technologies that can become widespread with advances in AI is the ability to detect, identify and track individuals through wireless signal footprints. This technology is known as WiFi radar, which enables detecting humans in places where cameras are not present.”
DNA databases
Advances in DNA technology help the UK missing persons unit match unidentified bodies with missing people records both in the UK and abroad.
The UK’s vulnerable person DNA database allows a person concerned about abuse to provide a DNA sample to the police to assist a future investigation if they subsequently go missing unexpectedly.
Mr Miller said: “Advances in DNA technology have enabled unidentified bodies or body parts to be matched to missing person reports. There is international co-operation and DNA profiles can be easily shared with the police forces of other countries where there are concerns a missing person may have gone abroad.”
Please donate now to The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall campaign, which aims to raise £165,000 to create a free, nationwide service helping vulnerable children find safety and support.
For advice, support and options if you or someone you love goes missing, text or call the charity Missing People on 116 000. It’s free, confidential and non-judgemental. Or visit www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help
