Impact of missing persons in Australia

News

Impact of missing persons in Australia

Source: Michael Keenan MP Minister for Justice Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter Terrorism

Archived 1 Oct 2016 - Posted: 4 Aug 2016

One person goes missing every 15 minutes in Australia, more than 35,000 people are reported missing each year, and more than 2,000 people are currently listed as a long-term missing person.

These are our family, friends, colleagues, and members of our community.

That is why on the eve of National Missing Persons Week 2016, I am encouraging all Australians to follow your instincts if you have concerns for someone's welfare and suspect they may be missing.

It is a common myth in the community that people have to wait 24 hours to report a person as missing—this is not the case. Report your concerns to police immediately.

To better understand the trends in missing persons cases, the Australian Federal Police is currently leading a comprehensive research project—Missing Persons in Australia—through its National Missing Persons Coordination Centre. The research project is currently underway, with the report due by the end of the year.

The research will help police agencies and those working in the sector identify and understand the reasons why people go missing; provide data on the lengths of time people remain missing; and update national and state-based missing persons statistics.

For more information, and to view profiles of missing persons in Australia, visit the website below.

This article archived 1 Oct 2016