The Battlefords RCMP Detachment and the Battlefords Victim Services invites you to a viewing of Hookers, A Story of Hope and Survival to be screened at the Don Ross Centre Room 107 Friday.
This documentary presentation is in support of Missing Persons Week in Saskatchewan and further information can be obtained from the Battlefords Victim services at 306-446-1553.
Battlefords RCMP received more than 330 reports of missing persons in the 2014.
Many of these reports are related to multiple individuals who are reported missing or run away at the same time, likewise many of these individuals are reported missing multiple times throughout the year.
Through May 5, there have been an additional 111 missing persons reports made in 2015, all of which have been solved.
The vast majority of the reports are cleared within hours. The most common type of missing person report involves youth who have not returned home in a timely fashion or who have run away from a youth group home. In most cases they are located in or around the city of North Battleford or return home on their own.
Police response in these common cases often involves checking with acquaintances and frequented locations and the use of media releases to make the public and the individual aware the police are seeking to ensure their safety and well-being.
Currently the Battlefords detachment has five outstanding cases where missing persons have not been located. These cases span from 1996 to 2014 and investigation is ongoing into these files. Police continue to investigate these cases and they are never closed.
Missing persons investigations involving suspicious activity, such as abduction, or lost individuals are extremely uncommon. However, all incoming reports of missing individuals are treated seriously and involve a large amount of front loaded work to ensure such elevated risk matters are addressed in a timely fashion.
Although rare, there have been higher risk missing person investigations for the Battlefords RCMP over the past year.
In November 2014, a 16-year-old girl was reported missing by her family after failing to come home from school. As with all missing persons files an immediate investigation was begun and it became apparent that there was an elevated risk in this case. The investigation led police to learn the victim was in a residence in a city in Alberta in the company of individuals who had the potential to lead her into a high-risk life style.
In February 2015, as a result of a traffic stop by the Community Safety Officers in North Battleford, police engaged in an investigation and determined that one of the occupants of the vehicle was a 17-year-old girl from Quebec who had been reported missing the previous October. Through the course of the investigation it was learned that this victim had been living a high-risk lifestyle since the age of 14. It was also learned she had been brought to the city by an adult man who was also engaged in economic fraud through the use of fake credit and debit cards.
Both the cases above highlight the importance a timely and thorough response to missing persons investigations and are good examples of the dangers of exploitation that exist to youth who run away or are reported missing. In both these cases the evidence would suggest the youth involved were lured into their situation by predators who are skilled in engaging and taking advantage of young persons
