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Adults and children go missing for all sorts of reasons, a significant number from care settings, and it can have a devastating impact on all those involved. As the police we, and our partner agencies, will do everything we can to find the missing person and provide them with the support and assistance they need.
T/Detective Superintendent Martin Buffoni.
You do not have to wait 24 hours to report a person as missing - a disappearance should be reported immediately if the person is felt to be at risk or unsafe.
Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.
This does not cover friends or family that you may have lost contact with over the years and you now wish to locate or make contact with.
Reporting someone as missing can be an upsetting and distressing experience.
We will ask you a series of questions to find out more information about the missing person and the events that led to them going missing. Depending on the circumstances of the person going missing, a police officer will visit you to obtain further information to assist us in looking for them.
We may suggest issuing an appeal to the media to help us locate them if we believe they are at immediate risk.
Children who are frequently missing from home are at an increased risk from Child Exploitation, becoming involved in crime or becoming victims of crime. We will prioritise searching for missing children.
If your child is repeatedly going missing from home it could be an indicator that they are involved in crime, drugs or alcohol. Knowing what your child's habits and normal behaviour is can help to identify risk factors.
If your child's behaviour suddenly changes you might want to ask why, it isn't always sinister but reassuring yourself might help to alleviate some of your concerns.
If you believe the missing person is in immediate danger call Surrey Police on 999.
Nothing is more worrying or distressing than when a loved one or friend goes missing or doesn't return home when expected.
For people living with or caring for someone with dementia, this may be quite common. The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme adopted by Surrey Police and other forces across the country.
It encourages carers, families, friends or neighbours, to hold information about the person with dementia that can help the police find them if they do go missing.
See more information and download the form.
Please consider GPS tagging to assist in locating the adult.
There are sometimes occasions when someone will be reported as missing by a friend or relative but have simply left home and do not wish to return.
If you are an adult and the police are not looking for you in relation to a crime or legal order then the police have no powers to return you home against your wishes and have no legal obligation to disclose your whereabouts.
We would always advise you to make contact with friends and family to try to reassure them you are safe and well.
In such cases we will ask to speak to you in person so that we can check that you are safe and well, you can do this by meeting an officer at a convenient location or calling into a police station.
If you’ve run away from home or are thinking about doing so you can call or text the Runaway Helpline free on 116 000 (https://www.runawayhelpline.org.uk/)