RCMP Establishes Tsunami Missing Person Task Force

Backgrounder - RCMP Tsunami Missing Person Task Group
Information for Families and Friends of Persons Missing as a Result of the South Asian Tsunami

January 5, 2005 (Ottawa) — The RCMP has established a Tsunami Missing Persons task force to assist family members and friends of Canadian citizens who are still missing as a result of the disaster in South Asia.

Foreign Affairs Canada has asked the RCMP to ensure that a consistent, compassionate and comprehensive approach is taken to each case, in partnership with the law enforcement community and affected families in Canada.

The task force will work with families and friends of those still unaccounted for. It will partner with the law enforcement community in Canada and with Interpol to apply the discipline of police work in a consistent fashion to each case.

The national task force has been assembled from among Canadian experts on the collection of information surrounding major cases.

“This concerted effort by the police community and the Government of Canada clearly demonstrates our deep concern for the victims, and supports families as they seek to learn more about the status of loved ones,” said RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli.

The task force will speak with each family, complete an official missing persons report which will link to special databases, including Interpol databases that are available to all law enforcement. In all cases, the privacy rights of Canadians will be respected. Local police officers will be asked to assist in the gathering of information and materials that may assist in the identification of missing persons.

Family members or friends wishing to report a person believed missing as a result of the South Asian tsunami can call the task force toll-free number at 1-888-543-4916 or via e-mail at canadiantsunamivictims@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Services are available in both English and French. Rather than contacting local police or Foreign Affairs Canada, family members and friends are asked to use the toll-free telephone number or contact the e-mail address for current information on a missing person file.

The task force will be supported by police officers directly seconded from their regular duties. They will be assisted by police officers in RCMP detachments, and provincial, municipal, territorial and Aboriginal police forces across Canada.

For further information contact RCMP Media Relations at (613) 993-2999

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Backgrounder - RCMP Tsunami Missing Person Task Group

About the Tsunami Missing Person Task Force:

• The RCMP has been asked by the Government of Canada to coordinate a Tsunami Missing Person Task Force in cooperation with Canadian police forces and Interpol.
• The task force will also be the point of contact for Canadians dealing with a missing family member or friend.
• The task force will act on a central file of Canadians who are reported missing as a result of the South Asian tsunami. They will coordinate between identification efforts in South Asia , forensic agencies in Canada , and family members and friends to locate and identify missing Canadians.
• A central and co-ordinated task group will ensure that each report of a Canadian missing as a result of the South Asian tsunami will be completely and consistently investigated.
• RCMP Chief Superintendent Al McIntyre, Deputy Criminal Operations Officer, British Columbia Major Crimes Unit has responsibility and oversight for the task group. He will be supported by a Major Case Manager from E Division Major Crimes Unit with a background in major DNA investigations.
• The task group will be supported by police officers directly seconded to the task group from their regular duties. They will be assisted by police officers in RCMP detachments, and provincial , municipal, territorial, and Aboriginal police forces across Canada .
• In addition, two special investigators have gone to Thailand with the RCMP Forensic Identification Specialist team to assess the investigative potential there.

Contact information for families and friends of a missing person:

• Telephone 1-888-543-4916 or email the task group at canadiantsunamivictims@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Services are available in both English and French.
• This toll-free number and e-mail address have been established to allow family members and friends to ask questions or inquire about the status of a missing person report.
• Rather than contacting local police or the Department of Foreign Affairs Canada, call the toll-free telephone number or contact the e-mail address above for current information on a missing person file,
• Other information about the relief effort can be found on the Government of Canada website at www.gc.ca. The Department of Foreign Affairs Canada has information for Canadians trying to contact relatives or friends in the affected regions http://www.fac-aec.gc.ca/menu-en.asp.

Information for families or friends who have already reported a missing person to the Department of Foreign Affairs Canada:

• Any information already provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs Canada is being transferred to the RCMP Tsunami Missing Person Task Force.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs Canada will contact each family member or friend who has already made a missing person report to advise them that the file will be transferred to the task force.
• Every person who has made a missing person report will also be contacted by a police officer. The police officer will collect any of the following information that has not already been provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs Canada:
• The name, relationship to the missing person, and contact information for the person making the missing person report;
• Personal information on the missing person – full name, date of birth, physical description (height, weight, hair color, eye color, distinguishing features such as tattoos, birthmarks, etc.);
• Location in South Asia – the last known place they were staying (name of resort, tour operator), flight information (airline, flight arrival/departure, flight numbers), passport information (passport number), names of travelling companions;
• Photographs – a recent photograph such as a passport photo or one that clearly depicts the person’s face;
• The name and contact information for the person’s dentist, in the event dental records are required to confirm an identify;
• Whether the missing person had their fingerprints taken for the purposes of a security clearance, employment, or criminal proceedings. These fingerprint records may prove helpful in matching with those of unidentified victims in South Asia .
• Family members and friends can also look for personal items belonging to the family member that might provide DNA information that can be matched against DNA samples collected from victims. Items should not be brought to the police force until family members or friends are contacted by the local police force. The police will assist family members or friends in gathering these objects to ensure that any DNA is preserved and uncontaminated. Items that can be used to collect DNA information are hairbrushes with numerous hair follicles still in the brush, or toothbrushes.

Information for families or friends who have not yet reported someone as missing:

• Call the task group toll free phone number to make a missing person report.
• Although the RCMP is coordinating the missing person task force, all Canadian police forces are working together to assist the families of missing persons.

Information for Canadian police forces:

• The RCMP task force will distribute an information form and collection kit to all police forces to assist in the collection of consistent and complete information about persons reported missing as a result of the South Asian tsunami.
• Police forces have been contacted via the Canadian Police Information Center (CPIC) about the work of the task force and how they can support the identification of missing persons.

The privacy of information and how it is used:

• The RCMP is committed to maintaining the privacy rights of all Canadians, including family members and friends of missing persons, and those reported as missing. All information collected on a missing person will be kept by the RCMP in a central and secure repository in Canada .
• This information will used in accordance with Canada ’s Privacy Law and will not be released to the media or general public. It will only be used for the purpose of identifying victims of the South Asian tsunami.
• The information will be cross-referenced with the Interpol database of victims that is being created from samples taken in South Asia . Canada has an existing agreement on the sharing of information between itself and other countries that will be followed for the purpose of identifying missing persons.

General Information:

• Toll free telephone number for families and friends of missing persons: 1-888-543-4916
• Email address for the task group: canadiantsunamivictims@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
• The phone number and email address are exclusively for family members and friends of missing persons. They are not to be used by anyone else to seek information on missing persons.

Information for Families and Friends of Persons Missing as a Result of the South Asian Tsunami

The Government of Canada has asked the RCMP to create a Tsunami Missing Persons Task Force to assist in the identification of Canadians missing as a result of the South Asian tsunami.

The task force will be the point of contact for Canadians dealing with a missing family member or friend. It will coordinate the collection of information that will aid in the identification of missing Canadians.

To contact the Tsunami Missing Persons Task Force:

• Family members and friends should work together to identify one person to be the contact person with the task force. This will help the task force to give and receive information in a timely way; having several people calling about the same missing person will only slow the process.
• A toll-free number and e-mail address are available for families and friends to report a missing person. Call 1-888-543-4916 or e-mail canadiantsunamivictims@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Those who report a missing person to the task force will be contacted within 24-48 hours. A separate telephone line and e-mail address will be given to the family member or friend who has agreed to be the contact for the task force.

How to Support the Identification of Missing Persons:

While you are waiting to hear from the task force, you can begin to collect information and materials that will be helpful in identifying your loved one:

• Personal information on the missing person - full name, date of birth, physical description (height, weight, hair color, eye color, distinguishing features such as tattoos, birthmarks);
• Location in South Asia - the last known place they were staying (name of resort, tour operator, etc.), travel information (airline, flight number, train information, etc.) and names of travelling companions;
• Photographs - a recent photograph, such as a passport photo
• Medical/dental information - the name and contact information of the person’s dentist and medical doctor. Dental records may be required to confirm an identity;
• Whether the missing person had fingerprints taken for the purpose of a security clearance, employment or criminal proceedings. These fingerprint records may prove helpful in matching with those of unidentified victims.
• Family members and friends can also look for personal items belonging to the family member that might provide DNA information. The police contacting family members or friends will give direction on how these items might be collected and used.