| When a person is missing, families often get | | | | finding the missing people. Apart from contacting |
| panicky and do not know how to go about finding | | | | these helplines or other agencies, there are |
| for the missing person. Instead of getting panicky, | | | | various other ways of searching for the people |
| it is recommended that the families must take | | | | who are missing. For instance, putting up posters |
| immediate action by filing a report at the local | | | | of missing persons in different places proves to |
| police department. The first 48 hours after the | | | | be an effective way, since posters involve the |
| person is missing can be very important in locating | | | | participation of the entire city or a particular area |
| them especially in the cases of missing children. | | | | by spreading public awareness. The posters that |
| Hence, it is advisable for parents to avoid any | | | | are put up contain all the information such as the |
| kind of delay as the police start their search once | | | | necessary data of the missing people and the |
| the reports are filed. Along with the police, families | | | | contact information of their families. Some of the |
| can contact different helplines and detective | | | | posters also include personal messages from the |
| agencies too in order to make the search faster | | | | families to the missing people that play a vital role |
| and easier. There are various guides to missing | | | | in getting them back. |
| persons available that provide important | | | | While filing reports of missing people, it is advisable |
| instructions and information to families in finding | | | | for families to provide photographs of the missing |
| their concerned people. | | | | people along with the reports. The database of |
| Most of the helplines that provide advice and | | | | the missing person also plays an important role |
| support on missing persons are charity based and | | | | for various helplines and other agencies in their |
| depend totally on voluntarily donations in their task | | | | search and hence the worth of agencies or |
| to find people. Hence, they do not charge | | | | helplines is often judged by their databases as well |
| anything to the families but at the same time | | | | as protocols. |
| provide them with all possible help required in | | | | |