Heid

In my story, so far, a husband goes missing. After calling around other people's homes they eventually get in touch with the police. Now, is it true that the person has to be missing for 24hrs before a search party can be sent out?

And is there any sort of procedure for it? Like, do they just gather a group of police officers and go on a search. Or do a couple of them ask question in the local community? (i.e. in and around the last place he was seen)

It just occured to me while planning out my book that my knowledge of this sort of thing is rather minimal

Any help will be rewarded with beer*






*subject to availability and distance

lisajane

Hmm. I don't really know the procedure either myself so I don't know how helpful my post will be, but I think that unless the the person missing is a child, I think it might be 24 hours... of course, this might be different in Australia to the US and stuff.

I'd say if it was a major HUGE search, then yeah, a group of police officers and on a search. But if it's a smaller scale thing, then yeah, local community.

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Heid

Thank you for the advice.

I did think you did have to wait 24hrs before a search can be organised. I'll have to weave that into my story somehow

Thanks again. You've been most helpful to me today

Sareth

Beer? UK... Gonna have to hit up my contacts in the Idaho State Police.

You will ship to the Rocky Mountains, right?

Seriously, though, where is this story set? The rules, I believe, vary based on situation and location. One police department may be willing to hop on the case immidiately, another may insist that 24 hours pass to filter out false reports. If there's clear signs of something henky, such as eye-witnesses to a kidnapping, or broken furnature indicating a struggle, the investigation probably will start immidiately.

Heid

It's set in an un-named place in the UK (The name of the town is not relevant to the tale)

The 24hr thing is sounding like th best opetion so far.

Cheers Sareth

Have a beer on me....you'll have to pay for it yourself I'm afraid. Low on funds at the moment *TURNS OUT MOTH-INFESTED POCKETS*

mammamaia

in most places, it's 48 hours... and the procedure will vary, according to where it is... rural and city areas will not go about it the same way...

what are the circumstances in your story?

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Heid

Well basically our man has gone out with a friend to celebrate something. That is the last he is seen. His friend went his own way home and his wife never saw him come into the house.

As far as the police are concerned, he did not argue with his wife, no one reported any unusual incidents (e.g. someone being kidnapped, a fight breaking out etc.) and nobody has seen him since leaving the pub late at night.....

mememe

In the Uk, if he is an adult, of sound mind, not sick (no life threatening medical condition/s) and not otherwise a danger to himself or others, the police would be unlikely to do anything very much...other than take the details as a missing person report. This would be a straightforward form filling exercise and it is doubtful any action would be taken other than to check with the local hospital and morgue to make sure he isn't a resident of either....and they do not accept mis per reports until the person (adult) has been gone at least 48 hours.
Once reported as mising and a report filed, if police came across him for any other reason...stopped for running a red light for example, he would show up on the pnc as a misper, but they would not be able to do anything or reveal his whereabouts to his family without his permission.

Hope that helps?

mememe

Heid

Yeah that does help....hmmm may have to approach my story in a different way.....

would it be acceptable for one particular caring officer to actually go out looking for the person him/herself. Ya know, being all good cop and feeling sorry for the family that misses him?

So, like, they report him missing but this one police officer isn't happy with the whole "we can't do anything for at least 48 hours" thing and so decides to take on the case regardless......

Sareth

Well, to do so you would run into a conflict with professional ethics, possibly even get him fired. But if something in his past causes him to personalize this case too strongly, he may very well decide it's worth his career...

Heid

Interesting thought Sareth, interesting thought...

man, all this novel writing lark is so much more complex than I had originally anticipated

Ilan Bouchard

Indeed. Unless it became a personal issue for this cop, I'd think he's seen worse things over his career and wouldn't put it on the line for some hunch based on some missing guy who could have gotten drunk and pulled off the road to sleep off his hangover.

Thus, what if he was a private eye? The family goes to him after getting the cold shoulder from the police, and he gets financial incentive to find this dude.

I would avoid the 'personal issue' idea though, it would be much too obvious you needed it because you couldn't think of another reason to have him look. It's too convenient.

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Heid

The plot thickens...as they say

Food for thought. What if my main character had some illness....perhaps something fatal....would that give the police more incentive to send out a search party?

The private eye thing sounds good....might have to take it on board....

at the moment in my story the one copper has appealed for witnesses after the 24hr period. Just asking questions in the local community and what not.

This is set in a small town so would this make it more likely that police would get involved?

Ilan Bouchard

In a small town cops would play a larger part of the community, especially if it's small enough that everyone knows each other by name. At that point there would be something personal for the police; 'tis a friend and member of the community that went missing, not just some dude in a city.

I don't know if an illness that could impair but not kill would be more effective than a fatal one to entice the police to look for the guy. That's up to you (obviously).
Some illnesses that come to mind are multiple personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, senility, etc.
If the character had to take a pill or medicine, and forgetting or being prevented from taking the pill made the character dangerous, the police might be more apt to look for the guy.

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Heid

Thanks for the information.

Definatley lots to think about. I'm still in planning stages so it's early days.

Cheers to everyone who responded