Can a living person be entered into the missing person file if their identity cannot be confirmed?

A living person cannot be entered into the missing person file without confirmed identification. The intent of the missing person file is to assist in locating individuals whose whereabouts are genuinely unknown and may be at risk. Accurate identification is crucial to ensure that resources are appropriately allocated to cases that warrant serious attention and intervention.

While there may be considerations about individual safety or vulnerability that could prompt law enforcement to investigate or monitor a situation closely, entering someone into the missing person file without confirmation of their identity could result in misinformation and misuse of resources. The process is designed to uphold the integrity of the information in the system, prioritizing cases where an individual’s safety is genuinely at risk and cannot be established through verification of their identity.