Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Inter-agency Cooperation to Search for Missing Persons with Dementia by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs ​​

Question:

Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether the Police will consider working more closely with other agencies to trace missing persons especially when the missing persons are diagnosed with dementia or other similar medical conditions.

Answer:

1. When Police receive a report on a missing person, investigations will be conducted to locate the person's whereabouts. Police will interview the complainant to establish background facts pertaining to the missing person such as his mental health and the circumstances under which he was last seen.

2. Police will also disseminate lookout messages for the missing person to all police resources, especially those within the particular area where the missing person is reasonably believed to be in.

3. In particular, Police will accord priority to the follow up for various categories of missing persons who may be at higher risk. These include young children, elderly persons, persons with intellectual disabilities such as dementia and those missing under suspicious circumstances. In such cases, Police will mount a search operation if the person had only just gone missing or if there are leads to suggest where the missing persons might be.

4. In addition, Police already have established procedures in place to work with other Government agencies to locate missing persons. For example, Police will screen with other Government agencies, such as education institutions, hospitals and Ministry of Social and Family Development to trace and locate the missing person. Police may also issue appeals for information to seek the public's assistance to locate them.