Over 600,000 Americans go missing each year. This equates to over 6 million people every 10 years or 2% of the current U.S. population. This is a striking figure but consider that the number of missing persons each year increases. The chance of you, a loved one, someone you know or someone in your community going missing is significant. With this in mind everyone from birth should prepare a Missing Person Packet to provide law enforcement and private investigator immediately should they become missing. Even if you live alone you should prepare a Missing Person Packet for yourself and place it in a location where it can be readily found and let a friend and family member know where you placed it.
You should update your packet when there is a significant change in your life. For young children their packet information and photographs should be updated every year. You should obtain fingerprints at your local law enforcement agency for everyone in your household. You can also go online and purchase a fingerprint kit to do at home. Be sure to follow their instructions carefully.
It’s important to link a GPS location tracker on all phones in your household or if you live alone, connect with a friend or family member. The iPhone relies on a built-in internal Assisted GPS (AGPS) chip to determine location so no installation is required. You just need to link the GPS to each iPhone. For android users, you can select from several location tracker apps. A few are FamiSafe, Life360 Family Locator, and Sygic Family Locator. These are great apps to download or activate on your mentally handicapped or elderly family members. This is also a great way to track a loved one who may have gotten in an accident or is incapacitated and their location is unknown. You can also buy wearable accessories that have GPS tracking devices that you can link to your phone, computer or tablet.
Your Missing Person Packet should include:
- Full name, date of birth
- Height and weight. This should be updated whenever there is a 25 or more-pound variation in weight.
- Three or more pictures in varying attire, hair styles and lengths, hair colors or facial hair styles that you normally wear.
- Photograph and document all birth marks, scars, and tattoos you may have and the location on your body.
- Full address, cell number, and include any p.o. boxes you may have.
- Place of employment or school, address, phone number, supervisors name and your work/school hours.
- List of friends, co-workers, associates and family number with their phone numbers and addresses. You can download your cell phone contact list and print it out for your packet.
- Name, address and phone number of all physicians, dentist, therapist and hospitals that treat you.
- Name and dosage of all medications you take.
- Have your fingerprints taken at your local law enforcement agency or order a finger print card kit online.
- List any cases you have had in court with an individual who you had a contention with. (Ex-loved one, business partner, civil dispute or criminal case.
The following is a printable form you can use for your Missing Person Packet. Be sure to include your photos and fingerprint card in your packet. You can place them in a large manilla envelope and mark it Missing Person Packet and put it in a place where it can easily be accessed. You can duplicate your packets and place them with your travel bags for those times you go on vacation with family or friends.
Please see our blog of Human Trafficking Facts and Precautions for important information.