Young girls, many of them fleeing abusive homes, form the majority of Jamaicans who go missing each year.

The Missing Persons Desk of the Police National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) says these youngsters, aged 11-18 years old, often leave home without informing their parents or guardians of their destinations and are not seen or heard from since.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, John McLean said young people need to be especially aware of their personal safety.

“They need to be more aware of their surroundings and do not adopt the habit of going into strangers’ cars. You have to be extra aware and not be complacent that nothing is going to happen to you. You do have some, though, who go off on their own free will,” McLean said.

Based on data collated by the NIB, between January and July of this year, 788 persons (491 females and 297 males) were reported missing. Of that number, 376, or almost 50 per cent, are young girls between 11 and 18 years old. Males in the same age group account for 14 per cent of the total number.

Additional statistics show that from January to March last year, 435 reports of missing persons were made, with 204 being girls between 11 and 20 years. For April to June, of the 460 persons reported missing, 243 were teenaged girls in the same age bracket, while for July-August, 125 teenaged girls were reported missing out of 256 cases.

In 2004, 1,881 Jamaicans were reported missing with 1,149 or 61 per cent being females. Overall, Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, St James and Clarendon account for the largest number of reported cases, averaging almost five disappearances per week.

According to the NIB, there are dozens of reasons for the large number of missing person reports among teenaged girls, chief among them the habit of running away from home or going off with friends and not informing parents or relatives.

“There is also a high level of irresponsibility among parents and relatives that is a part of the problem because the children go to relatives’ house and they (the relatives) do not inform the parents. And it is only when the missing person report is aired that the truth is found out”, said Sergeant Dahlia Garrett, who works with the Missing Persons Desk.

The NIB said reasons people go missing include fear of being reprimanded or punished, becoming lost, abductions, kidnappings or death.

“In a lot of runaway cases, sometimes the girls or boys are living in abusive homes and trying to find a way out,” Garrett pointed out.

While Garrett said kidnappings and abductions are on the decline, one case of alleged kidnapping that made media headlines late last year was that of 13-year-old Camona Orgille, who disappeared on her way home from school in the vicinity of the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory in St Andrew. She was reportedly talking to a male cousin on her cellphone when the relative heard her scream. After calling her back with no luck, he phoned the Mavis Bank police who launched a search of the area but found no trace of the young girl.

In the meantime, Garrett sought to make it clear that following a policy review conducted by the police, family members and friends no longer have to wait 24 hours before making a missing person report, especially with cases of possible abductions.

“The circumstances of the disappearance will determine the type of investigation. In cases where foul play is suspected, high priority is usually given,” the police sergeant said. However, she was quick to point out that there is no disparity in the treatment of cases reported by persons of different socio-economic backgrounds.

Garrett said that with a dedicated team of officers, the NIB has been able to help reunite family members with their loved ones. So far this year, they have managed to locate nearly 50 per cent of missing persons reported.

“We have been very successful in recent times because we have a dedicated team working here. We keep in touch with family members as well as the investigating officers working across the island,” Garrett shared. “Networking can be very effective in breaking cases. Also, we have the renewed policy that we have been working with. It makes our work more effective and it yields better results.”

The attention given to missing persons on television and radio has also been instrumental in yielding positive results for the work of the investigating officers and the families.

“The public support because of the media attention, television especially, has been amazing. It is very good when the media gets involved.” The website, JamaicanMissingPersons.org, which has been in operation since April 2006 (run by Loss Control Associates), has also been playing a vital role.

Family members are able to post photographs and pertinent information about missing relatives there. The collaborative effort between the website managers and the police has borne fruit.

But the police sergeant admits that their work is not without its share of challenges.

“One of the hurdles we face is that sometimes families give us a cell number that does not work and when we try to do follow-ups, we do not get through,” she told the Sunday Observer. “Another problem is that with some cases, we do not have sufficient leads and we need families to disclose as much information as possible. Any information we are given can be used to help find the missing person. And if and when the person returns home, it is necessary that you inform the police to get the books updated.”

Both Assistant Commissioner McLean and Sergeant Garrett advise Jamaican parents, especially those with teenaged children, to be more vigilant about the activities of their kids, while urging all Jamaicans to keep an eye and an ear out.

“The relationship that parents have with their children is very important. Parents need to ensure as much as possible that they know where their children are, where they are going and call regularly to check up on them,” McLean told the Sunday Observer.

Said Garrett: “While you do not want to invade, try and get an idea of where your child or your relative is going because at times we are so guarded that we put ourselves at risk. It is also important for parents to know the type of friends that their children hang out with and the kinds of activities they are involved in.”