Response to missing person report - Northumbria Police, September 2016

On the evening of 29 September 2016, a woman contacted Northumbria Police to report her daughter as missing. Her daughter had left the family home earlier that day and had failed to return as expected. Northumbria Police launched a missing person investigation and conducted enquiries in an effort to trace her. On 1 October, the young woman was found dead in a hotel room.

During our investigation, investigators interviewed a number of officers who were involved in conducting risk assessments of the woman, together with the officers who were involved in the efforts to locate her. Investigators reviewed all relevant Northumbria Police records and considered whether the actions taken by officers in this case were in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.

Having carefully considered the available evidence, the Lead Investigator identified performance issues in respect of two response officers who first visited the woman’s family home. The Lead Investigator identified that the officers had failed to comply with minimum standards in relation to the initial search of the family home. The Lead Investigator also recommended further learning for one of the response officers, in relation to the importance of making accurate entries on police computer systems.

The Lead Investigator concluded that the risk assessments officers conducted, and all other decisions and actions taken in relation to the search for the woman had been appropriate in the circumstances.

After reviewing our report, Northumbria Police agreed with our findings. They advised that they would provide the two response officers with appropriate training on the minimum standards expected in missing person investigations, particularly around searches. They also proposed that one of the officers would receive management action in the form of ‘words of advice’ around the importance of creating accurate electronic records.

We agreed that their proposals were appropriate.