A new video from city police and other agencies urges you to act quickly if someone you know goes missing.
The “Am I Missing?” campaign was launched Tuesday, as part of the response to the inquest into the deaths of seven Indigenous youths in Thunder Bay.
Recommendation 91 calls for a group to be made to speed up the reporting of any missing students, and to keep organizations on the same page when a student is involved in a missing persons case or sudden death.
The video tries to clear up myths around missing persons reports, which Detective Inspector Ryan Hughes tells us include the idea that you have to wait 24 to 48 hours after someone appears to go missing.
“If the [risk] factors are met, or a person has a concern, Thunder Bay Police will file a missing persons report right away.”
He notes you should call the police as soon as you’ve checked where the missing person usually spends time, and considered whether they’re at risk.
Warning signs can include unusual differences in routine, he explains, like if a child is unusually late getting home.
Parents and guardians “know when something’s not right with a youth, or a child, or a friend,” Hughes says.
The video also urges you to “trust your instinct” when you suspect someone is missing.
City police also hope the campaign will give people more confidence in how police handle missing persons.
“When officers aren’t out searching, the agencies that we’re working with do know officers are working behind the scenes trying to locate the missing people,” he notes.
The campaign was put together by city police, Matawa Learning Centre, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, the City of Thunder Bay, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, the Independant First Nations Alliance, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, Northern Nishnawbe Education Council, Shibogama First Nations Council, and Windigo First Nations Council.
You can watch the “Am I Missing?” PSA video below, or click this link to learn more. (Staff Photos)
