The Rietgat police are urging the community to act swiftly in reporting a missing person.
A missing person is someone whose whereabouts are unknown and whose safety and welfare cannot be determined.
“The station would also like to inform the community that there is no waiting period to report their missing loved ones,” said spokesperson Captain Stephen Maluleka.
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“As the SAPS, we want families to avoid losing valuable time trying to contact friends and relatives,” said Maluleka.
“Instead we want to use all the resources at our disposal to act as swiftly as possible in finding the missing person safe.”
He said the police are better equipped to establish whether the missing person was a victim of crime, a casualty in an accident or if the person was arrested for one or other reason.
“Statistics with regards to missing children have shown that it is crucial to immediately start with an investigation and search for these children as we would not know whether these children are victims of crime or not,” he said.
Maluleka said parents are also encouraged to teach children the importance of using the phone to call home or parents’ workplace.
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“Furthermore, teach them to know their full names, address, phone number and make sure that they do not accept rides from strangers.”
Children should also be taught to immediately inform parents if another adult tells them to keep something a secret from their parents.
Lastly, parents should never leave their children unattended at malls, public gatherings or anywhere that they feel their safety can be compromised.
To report a missing person, a complainant must have detailed information of a missing person, that may include but not limited to, a recent photo, description of the clothes the person was wearing, height, colour and any additional information such as whether the person stutters or is deaf for example.
The person that reports a person missing must also keep in contact with the investigating officer for any leads from their side.
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“It is also important to note that when the missing person returns home, the police should also be informed of such developments so that a missing person’s enquiry can be closed and all stakeholders are also informed of the developments,” he said.
The community is encouraged to call or visit any police station if they come across a person reported missing or alternatively call 08600-10111 or Rietgat police on 012-432-7806.
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