With more than 150 open cases of disappearances in RS, police create search protocol The Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul created a new service protocol to speed up searches for missing people who are part of vulnerable groups. The measure covers children, adolescents, the elderly, women in situations of violence and people with physical and intellectual disabilities. The document standardizes the operations of police stations across the state. Currently, Rio Grande do Sul has 154 open cases of disappearances. Since January this year, 1,649 cases have been registered, of which 1,495 resulted in localization, which represents a success rate of 90.7% in investigations. The highest concentration of missing people is in the age groups of 12 to 17 years old and among children under 12 years old. ? Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp Before implementing the measure, each police station carried out investigations based on local experience. The police now adopt a color-based risk classification, which defines the urgency of actions. See below. "A child under 12 years old has the maximum classification. We made the classifications in color. For example, this is a very serious case, where he has priority. From then on, in this document, we have minimal diligence", says delegate Marina Dillenburg, director of the Police Intelligence and Criminal Analysis Division of the State Department for Protection of Vulnerable Groups (DPGV). The protocol establishes minimum action guidelines divided by hours: in the first 2 hours, 6 hours and 24 hours of the disappearance. In the first two hours, the police unit that receives the complaint is responsible for the initial actions. The protocol requires the immediate registration of the case and the collection of a recent photograph of the missing person. The team must interview family members, check the last places visited and preliminarily check hospitals, health units and shelter institutions. The degree of risk is assessed and the intelligence division is communicated. In the first six hours, the team starts collecting addresses and searching databases. During this period, the police also analyze social networks and seek to identify possible family conflicts, threats or situations of violence to produce a preliminary report. Within 24 hours, the protocol determines that in-person investigations be carried out in places where the person may be. Police officers must search for images from public or private monitoring systems and contact institutions that can help with location. The risk level is reassessed to plan new actions. If the person is not located after 24 hours, the responsible unit continues the investigation. The document provides for the production of complementary reports, the sharing of information with other units and the constant reassessment of risk and search strategies. The Civil Police reinforces that the idea that it is necessary to wait 24 hours to register a missing person report is a myth. Notification must be made immediately. “No way [needs to wait]. In fact, our guidance is that any sign of difference in that person's routine, if you are not aware of their location, should you report it to the authorities. So, the sooner this is done, the more chances there are of location," says Dillenburg. "Any different signs that exist in that person's routine, who are not aware of their location, should be reported to the authorities. The sooner this is done, the more chances there are of location", she highlights. She also recommends that families provide as much detail as possible in the first few hours, such as information about the routine, places frequented, who the person was with and recent photos. "The more the family helps, the school, people around these vulnerable people, not only children and teenagers, but also the elderly, people with physical and mental disabilities, we are grateful, because it makes our work easier and the response we will also give", concludes the delegate. Classification of people's cases desaparecidas no RS ? Vermelho - Risco crítico Criança menor de 12 anos; Pessoa com Alzheimer ou demência; Pessoa com deficiência intelectual; Risco de suicídio; Suspeita de sequestro; Violência doméstica ou ameaça recente; Necessidade de medicação contínua; Última localização em área de risco. Resposta Operacional Imediata. ? Laranja - Alto risco Adolescente; Idosos; Pessoas com deficiência; Histórico de desaparecimentos; Indícios de exploração sexual; Vulnerabilidade social. Immediate Operational Response. ? Yellow - Moderate risk Absence of aggravating factors. Priority Operational Response. Marina Dillenburg, director of the Police Intelligence and Criminal Analysis Division of the State Department for the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (DPGV) André Ávila/ RBS VIDEOS Agency: Everything about RS