“It can be anyone [..who can report]. If you have sufficient concern for someone, that they’re not where they should be and there’s a potential risk of harm to them then make a report.”
Charlie Hedges
Description
When should you report someone as missing? And what happens after that?
Former police officer Charlie Hedges now devotes his working life to improving the way our institutions handle missing persons. His goal is to build police expertise across Europe to make sure risk is properly assessed when a person is reported missing. He joins Karen and Caroline to explain why you shouldn’t wait to contact authorities if you believe someone is missing. He tells how he’s experienced the impact of a delay upon cases he’s handled and why anyone who is concerned should report a person missing – it’s not just down to family members.
So why do the police ask so many questions when someone is reported missing? Charlie takes Caroline and Karen through the ways risk and background is assessed and how that information is used to try and find them.
Guest
Charlie Hedges
Missing Persons Expert, AMBER Alert Europe
Charlie Hedges MBE is one of the UK’s foremost experts on missing, abducted and trafficked persons, particularly children. During a career spanning 36-years with the Police and then at CEOP and the National Crime Agency as the Manager for Missing and Abducted Children, he has amassed a wealth of practical and theoretical experience, nationally and internationally and was also responsible for writing national policy for the UK Police on missing persons and search procedures.
In January 2015, Charlie resigned his position to start his own consultancy, Charlie Hedges Advisory. In his current role, Charlie has continued to work in different countries, primarily in Europe, but also throughout the world. His focus is on finding new and better ways to safeguard children, then sharing and implementing the solutions. This has led to the creation of the Missing Persons Information Hub (MPIH), providing a link to all aspects of missing persons.