Developing a Competency Framework for Police Missing Persons Work

• In Event: Police Training: Evaluation and Development

Abstract

This study examines the competencies essential for effective missing persons work, drawing on over two hundred interviews and surveys with police officers across Canada. The findings identify five key competency domains: personal, positional, organizational, analytic, and communication skills. Personal competencies include empathy, adaptability, and resilience for managing emotionally charged cases. Positional competencies involve knowledge of policies, investigative techniques, and inter-agency collaboration. Organizational competencies emphasize navigating institutional structures, leveraging resources, and engaging with community partners. Analytic competencies pertain to risk assessment, pattern recognition, and data-driven strategies. Communication competencies highlight clear, compassionate, and culturally responsive engagement with families, the public, and partner organizations. Together, the findings demonstrate police response to missing persons requires specialized skills beyond traditional law enforcement practices. Police missing persons work thus should involve specialist resource assignment, not the current practice of placing the bulk of responsibility for this work on generalist officers. This competency framework informs police training, policy development, and resource allocation to enhance investigative outcomes. These findings contribute to research on policing specialization and support evidence-based strategies for improving missing persons response efforts in Canada and beyond.

Author

• Lorna Ferguson, University of Regina