Response to missing person’s report - Bedfordshire Police, July 2017

On 28 July 2017, a man was reported missing by a friend to Bedfordshire Police. An officer made enquiries to try locating him. Evidence suggested that the officer went to the man’s address given to Bedfordshire Police. However, the officer who went reported it to be the home of a young family and not that of the missing man. The officer conducted checks on previous addresses for the man but the man was not found.

The following day the ambulance service contacted Bedfordshire Police reporting the sudden death of a man; this was the same man who had been reported missing the day before and his address was the same as the one provided to police.

During the investigation, evidence identified that the officer had initially gone to an incorrect address when trying to locate the missing person.

Investigators interviewed the officer who went to the incorrect address and analysed the officer’s actions and decision. Investigators also obtained statements from several witnesses whom the officer had visited and taken information from regarding the missing person.

Based on the evidence available, we found an indication that the officer who carried out the initial missing person investigation behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

After reviewing our report, the force agreed with our findings. A misconduct meeting was held, at which an independent panel found no case to answer for the officer. No further action was taken.