Reporting a Missing Person in Alberta

Included in this guide:

• Is Someone Missing?
• Your Wellness During Challenging Times
• Straight Facts About Missing People
• Calling the Police
• Missing Persons Investigations
• What Else Can I Do?

Is Someone Missing?

If someone is missing, you can report it to the police right away. 

There is no 24- or 72-hour waiting period.  You can call anytime and ask them to open a file.  You don’t have to be a family member or even live in the same city.

Someone is considered missing when:

• They have not been in contact with people they normally are
• They are absent from the places they usually are 
• Their location is unknown despite reasonable efforts to locate them

If you are trying to find someone, check: 

• Family, including in other communities or provinces
• Friends and acquaintances
• Places where they go often
• Foster or adoptive families
• Social media for posts, updates, or mentions 
• School
• Work
• Hospitals
• Local shelters
• Programs or services they are connected to

Bree Island is a nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman) from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory. BearPaw Media has proudly licensed this series of three illustrations honouring missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Your Wellness During Challenging Times

It can be very traumatic if someone you love is missing.  It is very important to take care of yourself, understand your anxiety, and most important, reach out for support.

A support can be an Elder, family member, friend, advocate, or professional support worker. 

NCSA Elder, Ruth Cardinal de Ubieria, has some advice for those dealing with the pain of a having a missing loved one: 

Cultural practices like smudging and ceremony help balance us during difficult times. Exercise and going for walks can help with stress too. 

BearPaw Media and Education at NCSA has a Wellness Guide for Indigenous Families that explores coping with grief and options for your healing.

Straight Facts About Missing People

While anyone can go missing for a variety of reasons, there are people at higher risk than others:

• Youth under the age of 18 years account for over half of the missing persons in Canada
• Indigenous youth and young adults with experience in the child welfare system 
• Indigenous women, girls, and 2Spirit+ people
• Indigenous men

The reason why Indigenous people are more likely to go missing than other people is due a to complicated storm of factors that include:

• Canada’s history of colonization
• Residential schools
• Child welfare
• Systemic racism
• Poverty
• Inequity

Connected to the systemic issues above are individual experiences of: 

Calling the Police

If you are ready to make a Missing Persons Report, call your local police detachment.

When you speak to the police, make your call and concern sound like a priority.  

The police will ask many questions, and some may feel invasive.

You may feel you are being accused of something – but you are not. This feeling is a common reaction some of us have when being asked sensitive questions by the police.

Try to stay calm and do your best to answer questions such as: 

• Physical description? 
• Current medication or immediate health concerns?
• Addictions issues?
• Last person seen with or spoken to?
• Current lifestyle and circumstances?
• Involved in gangs, drugs, or sex-trade?
• Is this behaviour out of character?

Their decision is based on a number of vulnerability factors, including: 

• Age
• Circumstances 
• Physical health 
• Mental health
• Emotional state
• Lifestyle factors 
• Prior involvement with police 
• Environmental conditions

A missing person is considered high risk if:

When talking to police, provide police with as much information as you can.  

The report will be dispatched to patrol officers.

If a missing person is not found in a few days, the case  will be transferred to the Missing Persons Unit.

Historic Fear & Distrust of Police

Picking up the phone and calling the police for help may not be easy for you – considering the historical distrust between Indigenous communities and the police. 

However, consider that by reporting someone missing that you are advocating for them  – and working to find them safely and quickly.

Missing Persons Investigations

The Primary Investigator at the Missing Persons Unit is the families main contact with the police. They can give you advice and help you understand the investigation.

The Alberta Family Information Liaison Unit (FILU) also provides support to families of missing Indigenous people specifically.  They can help you: 

• Communicate with police
• Decide which actions to take 
• Cope through the process 

Missing people are considered missing until located. The case will only be closed once the person has been found.

Open files are reviewed periodically, at minimum – at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and every 2 years after.  

What if a File isn’t Opened?

If the police do not open a file right away, call the police again if:

• New information becomes available 
• The person remains missing for a longer period of time 

What Else Can I Do?

Once you’ve reported someone missing, it’s important to keep track of any information you may receive.  In times of trauma, this can be difficult. 

So, here are some things you can do to feel organized – and breathe a little easier: 

Use Social Media

Social media or media outlets (newspapers, TV, radio) can be an effective way to share information about your loved one quickly and to thousands of people. 

Here are some tips:

• Ask one of your supports to do the social media management
• Create a public search page for your loved one so all information is in one place
• Make any posts on your newsfeed public for sharing
• Choose a photo of your loved one that shows them happy
• Be aware – media outlets can take information from your social media and share it

And Remember, Take Good Care of Yourself

Take care of yourself and most importantly reach out for support. 

Cultural practices like smudging and ceremony help during difficult times.  Exercise and going for walks helps with stress too.  These are all tools to help you manage the trauma of having a missing loved one.

BearPaw Media and Education at NCSA has a Wellness Guide for Indigenous Families that explores coping with grief and options for your healing.