In 2019, the FBI reported almost 87,500 active missing person records with those under 18 making up 35 percent of the records and 44 percent being under the age of 21. It’s no surprise that private investigators are hired to help people find their lost children, partners, relatives, and even friends. However, did you know that some people confuse the terms “missing person” and “locating a person”? Stay tuned to learn the key differences between the two and how private investigators and law enforcement play a role in finding missing persons.
What is a “Missing Person” Case?
This type of case is when a person’s location in unknown, regardless of the cause of disappearance. A missing person case requires the assistance of law enforcement and should not be solved by just searching the Internet for clues.
What does Locating a Person mean?
Locating a person is when you want to look up someone from your past via an Internet search. For example, you may want to find a long lost relative, partner, co-worker, teacher, or friend. Unlike a missing person case, locating a person is something you can do by yourself. There are plenty of free resources to help you on your quest, such as Google, LinkedIn, Ancestry, and several social media platforms.
What Can the Police Do When it Comes to Missing Person Cases:
- After a loved one goes missing, police must wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report. Once the report is filed, this doesn’t mean they immediately begin searching for that person.
- The police have to abide by rules surrounding missing person cases. For example, they may not be able to find someone who doesn’t want to be found or has runaway.
- Police officers are allowed to search areas where the missing person was last seen and can conduct interviews with friends, co-workers, teachers, and/or neighbors.
- The police can look for clues via the missing person’s phone records, their digital presence, and/or any credit or debit card activity.
- If the missing person’s most recent location is known, the police can analyze security camera footage to help them find clues in finding the person.
What Can Private Investigators (PIs) Do Regarding Missing Person Cases:
- After a loved one goes missing, PIs can start searching immediately for this person, as they do not adhere to the 24-hour rule that law enforcement officers must follow.
- Private investigators can work on any type of missing person case, including runaways, kidnappings, fugitives, and any other reason. PIs can even track down someone who does not want to be found and work on a “cold case.” Indeed, these experts may be able to solve missing person cases quicker than law enforcement due to their expert skills, resources, connections, and lack of restrictions for when, where, and how they can start searching.
- Unlike the general public, investigators have access to databases and contacts that contain accurate, reliable data that’s updated in real-time. This helps a PI get closer to finding a missing person, as they don’t have to rely on dated information found via public records online.
- While the police are limited to working on cases in their specific state, PIs can easily travel across state or even country borders. When a case is time-sensitive, this can be the difference between bringing a loved one home or continuing to wait for new leads.
- To find a missing person quickly and efficiently as possible, private investigators use their skills and knowledge to gather information essential for finding a lost person. Since people are usually more comfortable talking to PIs compared to the police, this can make it easier to find a missing person.
While law enforcement plays a vital role in finding missing people, thee is no denying that private investigators also have a significant impact in solving missing person cases. One common issue for law enforcement is they have too many cases and not enough manpower to handle the frequent number of cases that show up. This is where PIs can help law enforcement not only solve these missing person cases, but do it as quickly and efficiently as possible. After all, finding your loved one is a top priority if they ever were to go missing. If you need help finding a missing person, contact PATRIOT Backgrounds and Investigations to see how we can help you.
