THE GARDA is considering establishing a dedicated missing persons unit, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has announced. This may include a missing-child alert system similar to the Amber Alert system used in the United States.
Mr Ahern said he had asked the Garda Inspectorate to study whether current responses to reports of missing people were adequate and the feasibility of a dedicated unit.
“Having a missing loved one who is untraced causes unimaginable heartache for family and friends,” said Mr Ahern. “We must do everything we can to locate missing persons and we must ensure that the systems in place are the best possible for dealing with such cases.”
He said it could only be helpful to have a fresh examination of current practices.
