The Singapore police have announced that a 16-year-old boy went missing on August 7, 2021, on the island. The teenager was last seen at around 7.35 pm at Jurong West St 25, wearing a blue shirt and blue pants.
The young boy's family has made a police report, and anyone with information can contact the police at 999.
Alternately, you can also submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness or call its hotline at 1800-255-0000.
Sadly, this isn't the only missing person report Singapore has had in the past week. A 12-year-old Malay girl went missing on August 6, 2021, at 6.30 am. However, the police found the little one with the help of local residents.
There's no clarity yet as to what the teenager was doing there.
Missing Person Report Singapore: What To Do When Someone Goes Missing?
If your loved one goes missing, the first thing you need to do is file a police report. The earlier you can deduce that your child is missing or lost, the faster you should be in filing the report.
Do make sure that you try all possible options at your end to trace the individual before filing the report.
You need to dial the emergency police line - 999 to file the report or can also do it at the nearest neighbourhood police station.
Details Required When Filing A Missing Person Report In Singapore
When filing the police report, make sure to have the following information handy:
- Name and NRIC or passport number
- A photograph of the missing person
- Description of their physical attributes - height, girth, any distinctive signs
- Last known location as well as the date and time
- Any regular places they frequent
- Any more information like the missing person's mobile number that will help the authorities to trace the individual
How Does Police Conduct Searches?
With a large part of the screening process now online, the police will first check their own database to search the missing person. They also conduct the following searches:
- Checking with local institutions and hospitals
- Sharing information with on-ground police offers about the missing person to keep a lookout
- Issue appeals to the general public on social media as they did in this case
Searching Your Missing Loved Ones On Your Own
While the missing person report is necessary in Singapore, you also need to keep making your own efforts to find your loved one. Here are a few ways you can search for your loved one.
1. Contact the missing person's phone
Keep trying their mobile number even if it's switched off or not being answered. If it's going to voice mail, odds are the police can still trace the phone and the person in time.
For children, it's also advisable to have applications like 'Life 360' and 'Find My Friends' installed, which help you keep track of their whereabouts.
Of course, it's a privacy issue but with children, having this app would be advisable. Make sure to discuss the need for the app with the kids too.
2. Track their social media
Call it raging hormones or pure mischief, but teenagers can act out and may not want to return home for whatever reason best suits them.
While they may be inactive on their phones, odds are you may find a trace on their social media. This isn't applicable just for teenagers but for adults too.
Odds are a random tag on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter might help you with a clue about their whereabouts or frame of mind.
3. Use online groups to spread the word
Multiple online groups on social media, WhatsApp and other platforms can be a boon when trying to trace some. The 'Missing' poster can go digital that can be widely circulated among your family and friends.
4. Retrace their last steps
Was your child last seen at the school gate or did someone see them in the local supermarket? Try retracing the missing person's steps from their last known location and you will get a lead on what needs to be done next.
We do hope and pray that no family member should ever go through the ordeal of a missing child or a loved one. But if that day does come, make sure to be active and alert, and leave no stone unturned.
And do remember, the earlier you file a missing person report, the faster Singapore police officers will be able to help you.
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