It is important to note that every missing person case is unique, and the specific steps taken in an investigation may vary depending on the circumstances of the case.
Types of San Francisco Bay Area Missing Persons Cases
Private investigators employ a wide range of methods and techniques to locate missing persons in the San Francisco Bay Area. The FBI reported a total of 86,557 active missing persons cases in the United States as of April 30th, 2022. This number changes from month to month but usually remains close to a national average figure of 87,000 people. Access to the highly important National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer database is restricted only to use by law enforcement.
The NCIC database will list different kinds of missing person cases. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) puts missing persons cases into six different categories:
- Juvenile
- Endangered
- Involuntary
- Disability
- Catastrophe Victim
- Other
Thankfully, most missing persons in San Francisco are found alive and well. Some may have a history of mental illness, want to avoid financial responsibilities, or may have cut-off well meaning family members for personal or other reasons. Some may be incarcerated or in a hospital, unable to contact family or friends. Yet others may have left suddenly, without notifying friends or family members.
That said, there are also many disappearances in the San Francisco Bay Area that are considered suspicious or “at risk.” A case determined by local law enforcement to be at risk is usually when a missing person has either diminished mental capacity, is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or a mental health condition like paranoia/schizophrenia, or any minor who has run away or is missing, or when foul play is suspected. If a case meets any of these descriptors, time is usually of the essence.
When a person disappears, family members and friends often report the missing person to a law enforcement agency but unfortunately, law enforcement is overworked and without the resources to give every missing persons case in San Francisco the attention it deserves. Often times, family and friends become frustrated with the lack of urgency their case is receiving from the police, and turn to other resources, especially private detective agencies specializing in missing persons investigations.
Using Private Investigators in Missing Person Cases in the San Francisco Bay Area
The use of an experienced private investigator for a missing person investigation can be the difference between locating the loved one or not. How a private investigator investigates a missing person case varies depending on their skill set and experience with only a limited few considered to truly be experts in their field.
For most missing persons cases, a list of resources and contacts are often accessed. One of the first items on the missing person investigation checklist is to conduct subscription/fee based database review of information that is only made available to law enforcement and authorized private investigators. This information may include addresses, cell phones, social media accounts, employment history, criminal records/arrests, civil cases, utilities subscriptions, etc… These databases can often provide addresses and even current employment for an individual. If that method does not produce the desired results, a more thorough investigation of the circumstance of the disappearance may be necessary, especially if foul play is suspected. While these databases may not always locate the missing person, they do typically provide a solid framework to start the direction of the investigation.
Often a second phase of the investigation is to create what we call a “TRAK Flyer.” A TRAK Flyer is typically a document created for law enforcement and professional use. The items usually included in the flyer would be: name, DOB, physical description, clothing, last known address, and any other relevant information such as mental health or substance abuse. An experienced private investigator will then add one or two recent pictures to the document. Once approved by the family, the TRAK flyer can then be emailed and forwarded to law enforcement officers, hospitals, mental health units, social workers, and other key professionals. A private investigator with the right contacts can often get these flyers distributed to the local San Francisco Bay Area street or beat cops, which can instantly create hundreds of additional eyes and ears who are on the lookout for the missing person. Ultimately, if needed, media may need to be involved, which in the right situation, can broadcast images and basic case facts to the public. Again, having a private investigator with local San Francisco area media contacts can be critical.
A private investigator with expertise in missing person investigations, typically will work directly with the family members and friends of the person reported missing. If a police agency is involved, a private investigator also works with the investigating officer and other professionals to preserve the integrity of the investigation. This is where experience and connections in the San Francisco Bay Area is critical. Through years and years of experience, the right missing persons investigator will have built the necessary contacts and gained the trust and respect of local law enforcement, social workers, mental health and medical practitioners, and other relevant professionals.
Some missing persons investigations are designed to expose the reasons that contributed to the disappearance of the missing person in the first place. In the case of potential foul play, these investigations are designed to discover possible suspects, and eliminate others, all the while locating, identifying and preserving physical evidence. Additionally, missing persons investigations often involves working the streets and knocking on doors to gain real-person intelligence and information. Obviously, this is a very important and often crucial part of the investigation and should only be done by an investigator trained and experienced in interviews and interrogations.
In addition to standard investigation protocol, a private investigator may also help raise public awareness of the disappearance of a missing person by providing guidance, assisting with social media efforts, contacting the local or national media, and coordinating with victim advocates and social workers from nonprofits, such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and other local groups for the homeless such as GLIDE Memorial Church and the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP).
At the DeWitt Detective Agency in San Francisco, we are widely considered the leading missing persons private investigation firm in the area. We have been in business in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 22 years and have developed the trust and respect of local law enforcement and other relevant professionals. Further, we have also developed a network of investigators not only in California, but throughout the country and internationally as well. We can give your case the attention it deserves and help bring your missing person home or to a place where they can get the help and support they need. Please feel free to reach out and contact us for a free case review and consultation.
