Councillor calls for action to cut number of missing person reports

People urged to keep an eye on vulnerable neighbours

A Cowdenbeath councillor believes more needs to be done to try to cut the number of people being reported missing as police resources are pushed to the limit.

As The Courier exclusively revealed last month, Police Scotland’s Fife division has experienced an alarming rise in the number of missing persons cases they have to deal with yearon-year, with 4,417 missing person investigations recorded for 2016-17.

That was up 57.8% on the previous year and means officers are trying to locate an average of 12 people every day.

Darren Watt, Conservative councillor for Cowdenbeath, said he had been “extremely concerned” by the figures and has asked if the statistics could be broken down further so the local authority and its partners can assess where they need to prioritise resources.

“What we must remember is that behind these figures are vulnerable people, including children, elderly and those with illnesses such as mental health issues and dementia,” he said.

“We need to be sure the appropriate services are in place to help and ensure any partners organisations are working effectively together.

“It is apparent police resources are incredibly stretched, however we need to be sure we have support and services in place that can help discourage many people going missing in the first place.

“Unfortunately the statistics are for the number of inquires and not for the number of people.

“Included in these figures could be a one-off runaway or someone who has run away several times.

“If it is the same person going missing, we need to need understand why and we need to be sure we’re in a position to offer them assurances and support going forward.”

Mr Watt also praised the Fife division of Police Scotland and the wider public for their continued care and concern when missing people appeals go out.

“Many people take time out of their own lives to assist police with their inquiries and help reunite loved ones,” he added.

“We can all do our bit to help by simply sharing social media posts of missing persons and keeping an eye out for our vulnerable friends and neighbours.”

What we must remember is that behind these figures are vulnerable people, including children, elderly and those with illnesses such as mental health issues and dementia. DARREN WATT