Nothing can prepare people for the horror of having a loved one go missing. The sheer panic and distress that people feel when a child does not come home at the expected time, or when an adult disappears, are unavoidable, but they can hinder taking action, according to an Atlanta missing persons private investigator. She outlines what people should do as soon as they suspect somebody has gone missing.
The first step is to make sure that the person is actually missing, and has not simply lost track of time, or gone somewhere on an impulse and forgotten to inform close family members. Contact colleagues, friends and other relatives to find out when they last saw the missing person. Check the person’s home to see if anything is out of place. All of this can be done quite quickly.
If these initial efforts to track down the person fail, it is important to make a police report. If the missing person is a child, this should be done as soon as possible after you know the child is missing. The police will initiate a search immediately when a child is missing, but they may not have the resources to launch a full-scale search when a mentally sound adult is missing, or local policy may be to wait for a certain time. Most adults who go missing return safely after a relatively short period. Apart from reporting missing children to the police, you should also contact the National Runaway Safeline and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Try to help the police as much as possible by supplying photos of the person, and describing what the person was last wearing. Give them details about the person’s car, his or her employment, and which bank he or she uses.
Check with local hospitals to see if anybody matching the description of the missing person has been admitted. If the person is unconscious or in a state of confusion, he or she will not be able to tell hospital staff to contact family members, and he or she may not be carrying any form of identity.
Consider using the services of a private investigation company. These companies have access to lots of data that can help track down missing persons. Contact the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime to see if you can get financial assistance for the search.