Report missing children before sharing on social media - police
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Abd Jalil Hassan said those who wish to make such announcements, on platforms such as Facebook or WhatsApp, must go about it the right way.
He explained parents must first lodge a police report and let the police make an announcement through a system which has...
The police have called for caution when making announcements of missing children on social media to protect the safety of the children and their families.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Abd Jalil Hassan said those who wish to make such announcements, on platforms such as Facebook or WhatsApp, must go about it the right way.
He explained parents must first lodge a police report and let the police make an announcement through a system which has specific standard operating procedures (SOPs).
This is to ensure the information is disseminated widely through the right mechanisms.
“The announcements will only be made with the written permission of the parents after the investigation found there were no elements of hostage that can pose a threat,” he told Bernama.
Abd Jalil said the announcements should only contain information such as the missing child’s photograph, name, report number, and the telephone number of the investigating officer.
He said the police and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development have developed a National Urgent Response alert system, dubbed NUR Alert, to deal with cases of missing children under the age of 12.
“The announcements through NUR Alert will only be made by (parties) approved by the police, such as Facebook, banks, and telecommunication companies,” he said.
He added that, so far, NUR Alert has 41 members from various agencies.
Meanwhile, crime analyst Akhbar Satar said publicising cases of missing children through social media is a fast and efficient way of disseminating information that could facilitate search operations.
“But, it is also advisable for the parents to lodge a police report immediately so that police can take immediate action.
“Parents should also seek advice from the police on what information they should reveal to the public to trace their missing children,” he added.
- Bernama
