West Yorkshire Police adopts new initiative to help find missing veterans
To coincide with Remembrance Day, West Yorkshire Police is launching a new initiative to help veterans who may go missing from home.
Starting today, a new initiative will be available in West Yorkshire, that will support veterans and their families.
The Forcer Protocol is a tool used by police to ensure key information is available to them when they are searching for veterans who are lost or who have gone missing from home.
The aim of the protocol is to reduce the risk of harm to service veterans, reservists and serving members of the armed forces.
The protocol has been developed by founder Claire Lilly and is named after her former husband Alan Forcer, who suffered with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and debilitating depression following service in Northern Ireland & Kosovo.
He went missing in May 2020 and took his own life.
Prior to an individual going missing, a veteran or their professional carers, family members or friends can complete a form which records vital information in relation to the veteran in case they go missing.
You can access the form here - Forcer Protocol – Safe and Found Online.
Officers will only ever ask for the information included in the form, if the person is reported to them as a missing person.
As part of the initial assessment for a missing person, the call handler will ask the reporting person if the missing person is known to be veteran.
Following this, the initial contact managers will directly access the information provided on the online form, through Safe and Found Online. Officers will then identify risk and investigate and look to find the missing person without delay.
Once the missing person is located, a subsequent referral will be made to Op Nova to ensure the veteran gets the support they need.
Op Nova is delivered by the Forces Employment Charity which provides support for veterans who may be feeling detached and in between military and civilian worlds. To find out more about Op Nova, visit the Forces Employment Charity website.
Whilst anyone can sign-up, it is important to note that if the person who is missing is in West Yorkshire, officers will automatically be able to access the details through Safe & Found Online when checking if they are a veteran.
If in another force area, the person reporting the missing person needs to make it clear to the respective police force that details have been submitted through the Forcer Protocol so an access request can be granted to them.
Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson of West Yorkshire Police and NPCC lead for missing people said: “Serving within the Armed Forces and then transitioning back into civilian life can be a difficult and challenging experience.
“Unfortunately, for some veterans, it can be quite overwhelming, and some go missing whilst experiencing PTSD. This can be a distressing experience for both the veteran and their family.
“The Forcer Protocol has been developed to reduce the risk of harm to service veterans who go missing by ensuring the police have swift access to key information that can help them find the person more quickly and ensuring that when veterans are found, they receive prompt support through Operation Nova, a specialist charity providing practical and emotional support.”