We act as the centre for the exchange of information connected with the search for missing persons nationally and internationally. The unit focuses on cross matching missing persons with unidentified persons/bodies.  Other key activities include:

• Maintaining records of missing persons and unidentified persons/bodies to provide an investigative support service to police.
• Maintaining a dental index of ante-mortem chartings of long term missing persons and post-mortem chartings from unidentified bodies.
• Managing Missing Kids website designed to assist missing children investigations
• Managing and co-ordinating the Child Rescue Alert service.

Information is supplied with reference to the following:

• All persons who have been missing in the UK for over 14 days, or where the force feels the case warrants more urgent attention
• All foreign nationals who have been reported missing in the UK
• All UK nationals who have been reported missing abroad
• All unidentified bodies or persons found within the UK

Sean Sutton, Head of the National Missing Persons Bureau, talks to The Education Guardian about the work of the unit and some of the problems they are trying to overcome. Read article. 

Reporting Someone Missing

If someone you know is missing and you want to report their absence you need to contact your local police station. The MPB works with the police but are unable to receive reports of missing people directly from the public. 

UK Police forces

Reporting a Sighting

Alternatively, you can call the MPB or contact your local police force.

About Us

The NPIA Missing Persons Bureau was launched in April 2008 within the National Policing Improvement Agency.  The precursor unit, the Police National Missing Persons Bureau (PNMPB), was located within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). 

The location of the MPB within a central agency was brought about following recommendations by Sir Perry Nove in his review of the PNMPB.  We have ensured that the bureau is positioned alongside key operational, training and technology services within the NPIA organisation and can offer UK police forces a full range of strategic and tactical support.

We serve all UK police forces as well as international and overseas police agencies but do not have responsibility for conducting investigations. 

Future Developments

The MPB are working towards enhancing their investigative support service to ensure that missing person investigations and reviews receive access to specialist in-house advice whenever needed. 

Initial work has already begun on the enhancement of some additional areas to the service to ensure that work is prioritised effectively.  Some of the areas identified for enhancement include:

• Developing statistics to enable strategic assessment of the missing person phenomenon as a basis to formulate, develop and measure future policy initiatives.
• Carrying out analysis of data to produce strategic and tactical assessments.
• Reviewing the current state of unidentified body cases within forces and encouraging forensic reviews.
• Raising awareness of missing persons.
• Establishing an effective DNA strategy for missing person enquiries.
• Supporting cold case reviews.
• Fostering a community of officers and force contacts, identifying and organising training opportunities for them, and developing an effective communication network whereby they can exchange ideas between themselves and overseas bureau.
  

Our Partners

The MPB also co-ordinates its work with other related agencies such as charities and other non-profit organisations that carry out important work in this field.  To find out more about our work with our partners click here.