Who is a missing person?

“A missing adult is a person who is 18 years of age or older at the time of the disappearance, whose whereabouts are unknown, and there is concern for the person’s safety or well-being.”  – Canadian Centre for Information on Missing Adults

Quick Facts to Remember

There is no waiting period to report someone missing

The time to contact police is when you realize that the person is missing.  Once you become aware that someone may be missing, contact family members and friends to ask when they last talked/saw the person and if anyone knows of  her/his current location.  Have someone check areas or places where the missing person is known to frequent.  If you are still unable to locate your loved one, please contact police.  Police are often the single best resource in locating missing persons.

You do not have to be a relative to file a missing person report

You need only to know the missing person’s routine well enough to realize that the routine is not being followed.

The time to contact police is as soon as you realize that someone is missing

Early intervention is important.

Even if a person had been missing for a long period of time, s/he should still be reported as missing to police

Regardless of the amount of time that has passed since your loved one went missing, you can report them as missing.   Police understand that there are many reasons for delays in reporting a missing person.