Australia - We need a Missing Persons National Database - 26th Feb 2014

On the 26th February 2014 - Steven Jones MP (Member of Parliament Australia) stood to speak - his topic was in regard to a better Missing Persons Database for Australia.

He started off well ....

Extract from the Hansard Parliamentary Report: Read in Full:

Mr STEPHEN JONES (Throsby) (13:59): In May
2003 Mr Ian Stanton, the son of a constituent of
mine, went missing. More than 10 years later his
whereabouts is still unknown. I was recently contacted
by Mr Stanton's father, Norman, who is concerned with
the lack of a national database for missing persons in
Australia ....

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He was able to get a few more sentences out and then this happened"

The SPEAKER: In accordance with standing order
43, I interrupt the member. The time for members'
statements has concluded.

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This was such an important topic which needed addressing.
Currently, our Database can be found here:
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Missing Persons Database.
Australia's Missing Persons Database needs and overhaul - and I suggest it needs to hooked up with a Database for the Unidentified - similar to how the USA NAMUS Database is designed.
And additionally, it needs to collectively cover all states and territories of Australia.


The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national centralized repository and resource center for missing persons and unidentified decedent records. NamUs is a free online system that can be searched by medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement officials and the general public from all over the country in hopes of resolving these cases.

The NAMUS (USA) Database isnt perfect, and there are a few things I would like to see changed to make it easier when constructing a search for someone - but I am hoping that Australia could make a serious effort to upgrade their current systems.

So I was wondering - for those people who use the database to search and match people - or for people who fill out a report of a Missing Person Profile ...
What does a functional, effective, user friendly Australian Missing Persons/Unidentified Database look like?

:seeya:

PDF Link in attachment below:
2008 - Australian Institute of Criminology Study and Report for the AFP:
Missing persons in Australia by Marianne James, Jessica Anderson, Judy Putt

This maybe of interest to some - a report related to Australian Missing Persons

Purpose of the project
This project was undertaken on behalf of the National Missing Persons Coordination
Centre (NMPCC), Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Families and Friends of Missing Persons Unit (FFMPU), Attorney General’s Department of New South Wales.
The specific objectives of the project were to update existing data on missing persons from all Australian state and territory sources with a view to identifying at-risk groups; identify good practice in relation to preventative measures, early intervention, support services and referral mechanisms; develop a more networked approach to policy and practice; and identify and establish a solid base for future research.

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Topics included:
1 Introduction 1
Purpose 3
Definition 4
Key agencies 5
Methodology 9
About this report 11
2 The phenomenon of ‘going missing’: a research overview 12
How many people go missing 13
Why do people go missing? 16
Hidden populations and under-reported reasons for people going missing 36
Summary 39
3 Searching for missing persons 41
Investigations 42
Summary 70
4 Supporting missing persons, their families and friends 71
The need for support 72
Impact on families and friends 73
Vulnerable groups 74
Current services in Australia 76
Improving practice and service delivery 78
Summary 84
5 Good practice in early intervention and prevention 86
Risk factors 87
Applying prevention models 90
Preventing young people from going missing 91
Preventing adults from going missing 95
Good practice 99
Developing a prevention framework for missing persons 107
Summary 109vi
6 The way forward 110
Flowchart for addressing the gaps in the missing persons agenda 112
Area one: Police missing persons procedures and data collection 113
Area two: Family rights, legislation and access to other agencies’ information 116
Area three: Determining risk and protective factors and at-risk groups, updating
procedures and identifying potential partner agencies 118
Area four: Identifying good practice, implementing strategies and educating police,
stakeholders and the public about missing persons 120
Area five: Looking further ahead 123
Priorities 126
Summary 129
7 Conclusion 130
The way forward 133
Priorities

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Hope you don't mind me dropping in Figs, but this is SO much needed in the UK too, where we have an even worse situation.

I'm getting so fed up with my own moaning about it, I think I am actually being driven into doing something about it.

Now I don't want to get too radical, but perhaps we should have an international database by governments who are willing to participate. This could cover most of the countries in the United Nations and others outside the UN who also feel a duty towards providing information on lost ones.