1. What Does it Mean to Be A Missing Person?
In this first episode Caroline and Karen introduce themselves and unpack what sort of person goes missing – you may be surprised to find out that those you love could be at risk. The reality is that people go missing for all sorts of reasons, and the way ‘missing’ is defined is crucial in getting help.
Available from July 28th, 2022
2. Why Do People Go Missing?
Guest: Aagje Ieven, Secretary General , Missing Children Europe
This time, Karen and Caroline are joined by Aagje Ieven, the Secretary General of Missing Children Europe, to look at the real reasons people go missing. And these aren’t the ones you hear about in the movies.
Available from July 28th, 2022
3. How Does Someone Become a Missing Person?
Guest: Charlie Hedges MBE, Missing Persons Expert, AMBER Alert Europe
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 Caroline and Karen to explain why you shouldn’t wait to contact authorities if you believe someone is missing.
Available from August 11th, 2022
4. How Does a Missing Persons Investigation Work?
Guest: Carlo Schippers, retired Dutch National Police Officer
How do the police, organisations and authorities work to track down a missing person? Carlo Schippers, retired from the Dutch National Police, says it may be helicopters, specialist equipment, dogs, officers on horseback… you’re only limited by your own imagination when trying to find someone safely.
5. Who Is Affected When Someone Goes Missing?
Guest: Dr. Sarah Wayland & Loren O’Keefe
What happens when someone you love goes missing? How do you move forward if they’re not found? And how does this impact families and relationships? In this episode we speak with Dr. Sarah Wayland of the Australian Federal Police and Loren O’Keefe, whose younger brother Dan, went missing in 2011.
6. What Help is There For Those At Risk?
Guest: Bethan Hodges, UK Missing People
In response to the missing persons crisis, a swathe of excellent collaborations and charitable organisations have risen to fill the gaps in public services and support police and families at risk of or living with missing persons cases.
7. How the Media and Publicity Can Help Find Missing People
Guest: John Bischoff, US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
You might have seen “Missing Person” billboards and posters, but there’s a lot more to using publicity in order to seek people who have disappeared. John Bischoff from the US Based National Center For Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC) discusses the importance of media campaigns to gather information from a community and to empower worried families and loved ones in the search.
8. Search and Rescue for Missing Persons People
Guest: Dr Craig Collie, Search and Rescue Volunteer
It’s not all helicopters and sniffer dogs when searching and rescuing a missing person. Dr. Craig Collie Da Search and Rescue Volunteer and academic in the field of Missing Persons takes us through the decisions police forces have to make when searching for a missing person and how search and rescue teams can be a vital support in this.
We also discuss how different bodies collaborate with police, often across borders, to assist in search missions and how analysts have worked out some metrics for predicting the behaviour of missing persons with different mental health conditions.
9. What happens once a missing person is found?
Guest: Susannah Drury, UK Missing People
In the final episode of this series, Karen speaks with Suzannah Drury of charity Missing People UK.
Often it can be seen as the end of the story when a missing person is returned, but that’s far from the truth as we find out. Suzannah explains how vital it is that returned persons and their loved ones are able to access the right support in order that they can reintegrate with life and move past the underlying issues that caused the missing episode. She and Karen discuss how people are found, as well as the absence of after-support for adults, and pioneering schemes that could challenge this problem.
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