| Chief Inspector Kevin Lynch, who has overall responsibility for missing person inquiries, told the Tele that recent weekends had seen the force involved in eight to 10 investigations at a time.
The overwhelming majority end with the youngsters being traced within hours — a couple of days at most — and being returned to those with responsibility for their care.
Some are individuals who run away time after time, starting a full response from the authorities each time they do.
One professional involved said, “Most are in the care of the local authority or involved in a chaotic lifestyle. Children from a happy family background go missing much less often.”
Chief Inspector Lynch said, “We can make no distinction, even though many of the kids are in the care of the social work department.
“At the end of the day we need to safeguard the child. Any incident reported to us, from social work, family or any other source, instigates the appropriate inquiry.
“We treat every missing person report in the same way until such time as it is resolved.”
The inquiries are conducted by officers from the Public Protection Unit, formed a year ago, and can involve uniformed and CID officers.
Chief Inspector Lynch accepted that the number of teenagers going missing in Dundee created a heavy workload.
“It has a significant impact on police resources on a routine basis,” he said.
“That is because we carry out a comprehensive inquiry in every case.
“Because of the nature of a missing person case, it is the most sensitive inquiry we deal with.
“At the end of the day it is about community safety. Many of the children who go missing have a degree of vulnerability.
“It is the best support we can offer to a vulnerable person.”
Agreed procedures mean that every child the local authority is responsible for must be reported to police if there is an unexplained absence. They have remained unchanged since the guidance was set out in 2003.
It states, “If a young person goes missing from local authority care, the focus of any response is to ensure the immediate safety of that child or young person.
“An operational protocol helps by outlining the responsibilities of individual agencies and clarifying the responsibilities of different agencies in attempting to find and safely return that child or young person to their care placement.
“Such a protocol also includes guidance on the actions that are to be taken once that child or young person is returned.
“It is important agencies work together to identify those children who are most vulnerable to ensure their safety and the need for appropriate support and/or counselling to prevent a pattern of running away developing.”
The aim is that, “It is hoped that over-reaction can be deterred but also that under-reaction likewise can be avoided.” |
