7/12 in our series on police MISPER searches
How quickly and easily are you able to stay on top of missing person searches using your current methods? How much valuable time is wasted when there’s a development that necessitates a replan?
Everybody involved professionally in such operations—from search planning and execution roles to police force senior ranks—knows how quickly missing person searches can evolve. Initial assumptions may be changed by new intelligence. New sightings and evidence may change the search focus.
Ask yourself some searching questions
Trying to keep up to speed using non-integrated, non-specialist tools and often largely manual methods is frustratingly slow and cumbersome. Critically, it adds unnecessary time and risk to missing person searches.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What do you do when the Place Last Seen changes—start again from scratch using the new Place Last Seen, new data from iFind and new search areas?
- Do you and your force use up critical time on manual, laborious tasks as a result of even routine developments in missing person searches?
- Have you ever thought, there really must be a better way?
Well, as we explain in this series of articles, there most definitely is a better and far more efficient way to plan and run searches.
Increased speed and efficiency, with reduced risk
Search-PRAS from Cunning Running integrates and automates many time consuming and error-prone elements of the search planning and management task into one advanced, specialised software solution. The end result: dramatically increased speed and efficiency in missing person searches.
Search-PRAS provides the single solution that enables PolSAs and IMPSAs to keep pace with developments in evolving search operations.
With Search-PRAS the initial search planning is carried out once—and very quickly, too, thanks to the solution integrating 2D and 3D mapping, geospatial assets, visualisation, data sets and procedural structure. Thereafter, as the search develops and new information is known, updating details and generating revised search plans and task sheets is even more rapid. It’s simply a case of updating the few details that have changed and letting the software to update everything else automatically. Briefing senior officers on developments, status and decision rationale ahead of media briefings is similarly quick and easy.
Automated search management, tracking and re-tasking
Search-PRAS includes comprehensive search management capabilities enabling it to track the progress of a complete operation comprising many individual search tasks. Task completion and evidence found is tracked, and teams can be re-tasked if and when necessary.
With Search-PRAS there’s no more piecing together of maps and data from non-integrated sources. There’s no more photocopying blank tasking sheets and completing them by hand; or using ‘Save As’ to generate them and then typing into the new document and hoping that you have changed every vital detail, including the name of your previous MISPER (yes, sadly this does happen when even the most experienced and dedicated search professionals are working under pressure and without the optimum tools).
Make search more scientific and less of a gamble
In short, Search-PRAS means saying goodbye to over-reliance on manual, error-prone methods for these most critical of police operations, in which every second saved can equate to a greater chance of the missing person being found alive and well.
Get in touch to arrange a remote demo of Search-PRAS now.
Stay on top of the developing search story…
The above article is one of an extended series of articles on search challenges and issues for police forces.
To receive notification when each article goes live, please follow the Cunning Running company page on LinkedIn, or the LinkedIn pages of Stephen Mallon or Phil Cowell.
Previous articles in this missing persons search series:
Missing persons search in the digital age: ready for your ‘Eureka moment’?
Article 1:
Ensure the excellence of your force’s search capability
Article 2:
Rapidly plan optimised searches in the office, then execute with maximum efficiency in the field
Article 3:
Compress critical timelines in missing person search operations
Article 4:
Focus use of resources on priority locations in missing person search operations
Article 5:
Audit of decision rationale in missing person searches—why it’s critical for all stakeholders
Article 6:
Leverage and enhance your use of existing geospatial assets in missing person searches
