News / Avon and Somerset Constabulary
As-live police investigation into a missing person in Bristol
As part of an investigation into the numbers of people that go missing in the city every day, Bristol24/7 has followed a live police investigation through from the initial call, to the final report.
4.50am: A call comes in from a mental health unit in Bristol to report a patient has escaped by climbing over the fence. The person was last seen at 4am.
The person has been with the unit for four days and is detained under section two of the Mental Health Act. They are considered at high risk of suicide, having made attempts to end their life twice the previous week.
is needed now More than ever
The missing person is immediately assessed as a high risk case and night shift officers conduct area searches of car parks, the suspension bridge and risk locations, without success.
Hospitals are checked and local bus companies informed, along with CCTV control, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and car park control rooms.
Inspector James Wasiak says a lot of the missing persons cases they deal with involve mental health issues
6.30am: Early shift take over: Inspector James Wasiak comes on duty as the responsible officer, PC Golding is the officer in charge.
Work is done to identify addresses of the missing person’s family and friends.
The Mental Health Street Triage team check their records for background information.
PC Golding visits the hospital to take details, search the room and ensure the grounds have been thoroughly searched.
Four police officers check addresses provided across the city.
The missing person’s phone is called. Someone answers, tells officers to go away and hangs up, refusing to confirm well being, or intentions. The police determine that this indicates either that the missing person is alive, or possibly that the phone is in someone else’s hands.
7.45am: The missing person case is raised at the Bristol inspectors briefing call.
8.30am: Having ruled out known addresses, the duty superintendent authorises analysis of the missing person’s phone.
9am: The case is raised with Bristol Investigations, the CID department, but local police teams will continue to lead investigations while physical searches are in the early stages.
The police helicopter is drafted in to assist officers on the ground
Enquiries with phone provider indicate that the missing person’s phone is within a specific area, that encompasses Clifton Downs, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Avon Gorge and Avonmouth Motorway Bridge.
Traffic units are deployed to check around the motorway bridge areas and the highways agency are informed.
The operational support team is deployed to assist patrol officers and they focus the search on the open spaces and locations at height. The police helicopter is also drafted in to help.
PC Golding continues office-based enquiries around associates of the missing person and identifies addresses to check. He is supported by a local intelligence officer. They identify a contact who was in touch with the missing person just prior to their disappearance.
This person is linked to an address out of the force area.
PC Golding phones and speaks to them. Further enquiries establish that the missing person may be with someone they know and a first name and local area are provided.
A possible address that is already known to police is identified.
Officers are deployed to the address.
11.55am: The missing person is located safe and well with a friend inside the property. They are taken by officers back to the hospital and a police prevention interview takes place.
1pm: Officers involved in the case de-brief their investigation with the inspector and report writing is completed for reference in future incidents.
For details of help, advice and support available, visit: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/advice/missing-people/.
Contact Missing People: Call or text 116 000 or email 116000@missingpeople.org.uk. The 116 000 helpline is kept open 24/7, thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
To report a missing person, call police on 101 or 999 in the event of an emergency.
Read the full Bristol24/7 investigation: Bristol’s missing people
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