LCQ13: Search for missing persons

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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, in the Legislative Council today (April 4):

Question:

Regarding the search for missing persons, will the Government inform this Council of:

(a) the number of reports to the Police on person missing in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown of the missing persons concerned by sex and age group (each covering five years);

(b) the number of missing persons found in each of the past three years;

(d) the circumstances under which the Administration will pass information about missing persons to the relevant Mainland authorities, and request their assistance in searching for these persons?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) & (b) The required statistics on missing persons and the number of missing persons located in the past three years are at Annex A.

(c) Upon receiving a missing person report, the Police will obtain all relevant details about the missing person including his/her name, identity card number, alias(es), photograph, contact method, physical description, special characteristics, time and place last seen, usual haunts, names and address of associates, etc..

The Police will promptly commence action and enquiry in accordance with established procedures in tracing the whereabouts of the missing person. Officer receiving the report shall immediately:

* conduct a check against the Police "Enhanced Police Operational Nominal Index Computer System" to find out if the missing person has been arrested, is a wanted person, or has been reported missing;

* carry out a check with the hospitals' Accident and Emergency Wards and the Police Traffic Accident Investigation Unit to see if the person has been admitted to hospital;

* if the missing person is an adult female, check with Harmony House to establish whether the subject person has taken refuge there.

If the missing person cannot be located as a result of the actions above, the Police will consider organizing search operations where appropriate with a view to locating the missing person. Personal data of the missing person and the report details will be broadcast immediately via the Police Communications Systems to all outdoor patrol officers. All searching actions will be co-ordinated by the Regional Command and Control Centres. There are dedicated Missing Person Units established in each Police Region, which conduct follow-up enquiries into each missing person report.

(d) The Police have in place operational guidelines on the passing of information to the Mainland Law Enforcement Agencies. When circumstances so warrant, e.g. if family members of the missing person indicated that the latter might have gone to the Mainland before his disappearance, the Police will inform the relevant Public Security Bureau and request for assistance to locate the subject missing person in the Mainland. There are also established channels of communication between the Liaison Bureau of Police Headquarters and Public Security Bureau in the Mainland to allow regular exchange of information and discuss cases of mutual interest.

Annex A

 Number of Missing Person Reports from 1998 to 2000



         2000                1999            1998


     Missing/Located    Missing/Located    Missing/Located




(Under 2 years)


Male     11/10               10/6             7/7


Female   11/10                9/6             8/7




(2-6 years)


Male     54/48               46/38           59/55


Female   34/27               33/31           49/42




(7-15 years)


Male    1 129/1 115         1 029/999       992/963


Female  1 939/1 933         1 680/1 688    1 746/1 661




(16-20 years)


Male     424/410             364/349        342/321


Female   697/685             692/652        577/547




(21 years and over)


Male    1 884/1 594         1 933/1 594    1 652/1 297


Female  1 401/1 151         1 217/1 036    1 140/933




(All)


Male   3 502/3 177          3 382/2 986    3 052/2 643


          (91%)                (88%)          (87%)


Female   4 082/3 806        3 631/3 413    3 520/3 190


           (93%)               (94%)           (91%)




(Under 16 years)


Male    1 194/1 173          1 085/1 043   1 058/1 025


           (98%)               (96%)          (97%)


Female  1 984/1 970       1 722/1 725     1 803/1 710


            (99%)              (100%)          (95%)

Note:

1) The Police do not maintain a breakdown of missing person reports for age groups of every 5 years.

2) The number of missing persons located in a particular year can exceed the number of reports in the same year as certain number of missing persons may have been located in the subsequent years.

End/Wednesday, April 4, 2001

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