Toronto police aim to dispel distrust with new guide on how to report missing persons

Toronto police have a new guide on how to report missing persons in the city, fulfilling a recommendation in an independent report that criticized how police have handled such cases in the past.

Police want to make sure people aren't afraid to report missing persons and that they have the tools and knowledge to do so, Insp. Michael Williams says.

"What we want them to be able to do is have access to a document that can help them understand how to report someone missing, what happens when you report someone missing, and actually, how can you help us," Williams said.

The service also wants to dispel myths, Williams says, like the idea that a person cannot be reported missing before 24 hours have passed.

The new guide provides a number of resources for people looking to report a missing person, including:

• What to do when someone goes missing.

• What happens after a missing person report is filed.

• How to work with Toronto police during a missing persons investigation.

• How searches for missing persons are conducted, and what the investigative process looks like.

• Supports available through Victim Services Toronto and other community agencies.

• Information on unidentified remains.

• Guidance if you are reported missing.

• Prevention strategies.

Transparency, communication lacking in past cases: report

The guide fulfils one of the 151 recommendations in a 2021 independent review of the Toronto police force's handling of missing persons cases.

The in-depth review, prepared by former judge Gloria Epstein, found "serious flaws" in how missing persons cases have been handled, saying "systemic discrimination" had contributed to several investigations, including those looking into the victims of serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Among the issues outlined in the report, Epstein said the service was lacking in its communication with the public, and a mistrust of police from certain community groups "rooted in systemic or overt bias or discrimination."

WATCH | 2021 report finds 'serious flaws' in how Toronto police investigate missing persons: 

Toronto police failed to investigate missing persons because of ‘systemic discrimination’: report

4 years ago

Duration 2:00

Toronto police missed clues and paid insufficient attention to missing persons cases because of ‘systemic discrimination,’ according to a new report. That discrimination contributed to police failures to investigate a serial killer in the Gay Village and other now well-known cases.

The co-chair of the team of community representatives that helped develop the guide with police says it addresses some of those trust issues.

"Throughout this process, we have heard from community that there is a lack of transparency on police processes and misinformation on how or when to report someone missing," said Haran Vijayanathan, with the Community Representatives of the Missing and Missed Implementation Team, in a police news release Wednesday.

The guide "serves to support community to understand the processes so that they are confident asking for help from the police service," he said.

It provides information for people with concerns about reporting to police, for instance, including how to report if you can't understand English or are worried about how reporting might affect someone's immigration status.

"Being missing is not a crime," the guide says. "If you are a victim or a witness in any case, the police will not ask about your immigration status, unless there is a bona fide reason, which happens only in rare and specific situations."

WATCH | Police officials respond to 2021 report: 

Interim Toronto police chief says review into missing persons cases ‘difficult to read’ and ‘humbling’

4 years ago

Duration 0:51

Interim Police Chief James Ramer said there have been mistakes and missteps in the way Toronto police handled missing persons cases, especially when it came to the city's LGBTQ community.

Toronto police have so far implemented 89 of the 151 recommendations in the 2021 report, Williams says, and are continuing to work to fulfil all of them.

The new guide was co-developed by Toronto police, the community representatives of the missing and missed implementation team, and community agencies representing "diverse social, cultural and religious groups," according to Wednesday's police release.

The guide can be found on the Toronto Police Service website here.