[ OUR OPINION ]
HONOLULU police offer practical advice in urging people to call the department in a timely manner when someone goes missing. Although a prompt report may not have prevented the death of Kahealani Indreginal last week, authorities have a better chance of locating a lost individual if they begin a search sooner. Quick action needed
for missing persons
THE ISSUE Police say a prompt call gives authorities a better chance to find lost individuals.
The public may have a misconception about police procedure in missing persons cases -- largely because of television and movies -- that officials will not initiate searches immediately and that there is a waiting period before they will get involved. Not true, according to Sgt. Wallace Choy of HPD's Missing Persons Detail.
Police officers consider such matters seriously, especially because the sooner they know, the more likely it is that they will find the person. In addition, if the person has met harm, evidence can be gathered before it is contaminated or eliminated.
In the Indreginal case, the girl's father says he thought his daughter may have been with a relative or at a neighbor's house, so he did not alert police until the next morning -- a delay he now says he regrets.
When someone is reported missing, an officer talks to the person making the call to collect information. The officer reports the matter to supervisors who assess the situation and determine its urgency. The missing persons team as well as other agencies may get involved when necessary.
This is not to say that people should panic when a family member or friend hasn't been seen or heard from for a short while. They first should try to find out if there is a reasonable explanation for the absence. If not, they should call police. To avoid needless concern, people who decide at the last minute to take a trip or who won't be where they are expected should let others know.
The Missing Persons Detail has operated as a separate police unit since 1989 and about 10 years ago altered its procedures to begin investigations as soon as warranted. However, the myth of a required waiting period seems to persist, one that may cost lives.
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