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When police officers deal with missing person cases with professionalism and empathy, they demonstrate the positive image of the Force and their dedication to serving the public.
On the morning of May 7, Mrs Poon went to North Point Police Station with her son to make a report on her husband’s disappearance. Mr Poon had gone missing for more than 24 hours after having a heated argument with
Mrs Poon in Victoria Park. Commander of Patrol Sub-unit 4 of North Point Division (NPDIV) Hui Kwan-kit obtained more information from
Mrs Poon and discovered that Mr Poon suffers from dementia and carried neither his phone nor medication.
Hui Kwan-kit identified the case as a “missing person at risk” case and prioritised resources to search for Mr Poon, including disseminating his information to frontline officers and deploying Police Tactical Unit officers for assistance if necessary. Missing persons who are at risk include young persons under 12 years of age, persons with suicidal tendency, mentally incapacitated persons, and vulnerable persons such as those who need regular medication or suffer from dementia.
Station Sergeant Yeung Tak-kan arranged for Acting Sergeant Wong Chun-yu to look after Mrs Poon. He also enlisted help from Sergeants Leung Chi-wai and Cheung Yiu-lun to search for Mr Poon with him. They eventually located Mr Poon near Victoria Park. He was safe and sound but appeared a bit tired.
Sergeant Leung Chi-wai said, “The Police handle missing person cases on a daily basis. A common misunderstanding is that an informant can only report the case to the Police after a person has gone missing for at least 24 hours, but they may miss the prime time for rescue. In fact, citizens should make a report as early as possible when lives are at risk. We will certainly do our best to help.”
Acting Sergeant Wong Chun-yu recalled, “Mrs Poon was so restless when she first came to us, but her face had lit up when she reunited with her husband. Whenever we deal with missing person cases, we always endeavour to assist informants.”
Although missing person cases occur almost every day, it is important for officers to put themselves in the shoes of informants and go the extra mile to offer assistance. As long as they act with good will, they can make a difference and earn the praise from the public.
