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.
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