93% of LE is in need of NamUs.Gov Awareness - Can You Help?

[Sara Huizenga]

So much has been accomplished by the 7% of LE users currently using the system. Imagine when the numbers rise? - Todd Matthews

NamUs Missing Person Database Goes Unused by 93 Percent of Law Enforcement

03.07.10

by David Murphy

Since 2009, families and medical examiners have had access to a free online database that's designed to assist in the identification of more than 40,000 sets of unidentified remains across the country.

Dubbed "NamUs," short for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System,
the program allows both parties to enter identifying characteristics of
a missing person or unidentified body in the hopes that this
information exchange will help match a face to a fate.

It's a grim consolation for those whose friends or families have been affected by violence or accidents. Nevertheless, the Associated Press reports that the free service has helped solved 16 cases since the cross-matching feature went live in July of last year. The numbers
don't end there: the service is home to around 6,200 unidentified sets
of remains, 2,800 missing people, and--according to The Crime Report--has been accessed (on the missing persons front) by more than 185,000 people as of January 2009.

What's the problem? According to the AP, only 1,100 of the nation's 17,000 law enforcement agencies, or 6.5 percent, are registered with the service. That's partly a publicity issue, as numerous law
enforcement agencies simply don't know the service exists. Others are
more leery about using limited resources to participate in the service.

That doesn't sit well with Janice Smolinski, sponsor of the "Billy's Law" bill that aims to encourage wider use of the NamUs system. If passed--it's already received House approval and remains pending in the Senate--the bill would generate $10 million in annual grants for law enforcement agencies to both train new users and help them resource
the data
entry process of adding new details to the system. The bill would also
allow for an annual grant of $2.4 million to keep NamUS, as a whole,
up-and-running.

As for how the system actually works, NamUs profiles are rated based on a one-to-five star system. A one-star profile contains scant details about a person: perhaps a name, or the location where they disappeared, but that's it. A five-star profile is the whole kit-and-caboodle, with a full swath of details and identifying characteristics, as well as a picture or of a person's likely image.

According to The Crime Report, there's currently no mandate that forces law enforcement to database details about a 21-or-over missing adult. Billy's Law won't change that aspect of the system, but it will
allow the database to link up with the National Crime Information
Center Missing and Unidentified Person File database in hopes that this
could increase the detail of NamUS profiles (or, conversely, fill out
the system with more.) Similarly, law enforcement will be required to
submit missing persons reports for children (21-and-under) to the NamUs
database.

For Smolinski, the legislative victory would be bittersweet. She remains confident that the NamUs database will give her the details she needs to close her own case--that of her son, Billy, who went missing
in Connecticut in 2004.

This is a clear sign as to where much stronger focus needs to concentrate on ... Are you interested in spreading awareness of Namus to those in Law Enforcement?

LE Training Modules

http://projects.nfstc.org/namus/

[Sara Huizenga]

You can't ever find that which you don't know is missing ... it's time for all those involved in the missing persons field to all be on the same page. We all need to take a moment right now to accomplish the simple and easy tasks listed here in order to help pass Billy's Law - If you have a voice outlet, talk about it ... if you have a blog, blog about it - media connection? use it to spread the word ... http://peace4missing.ning.com/forum/topics/on-the-road-to-passing-b...

[Larrry/Peace4 Admin]

Database can crack missing persons cases - If used
was written by--By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press Writer
At this point I have about 15 copies of this article from cities around the nation.

[Rebel J. Morris]

WORKING ON IT! It's more than just awareness though, for many they need staffing and funding. The main problem for many is TIME! They don't have enough staff to do everything and they don't have enough funds to hire more staff. That money the President spoke about on Saturday Nights AMW hasn't seem to make its way to these departments. Also, you have LE throughout the country who still don't use the systems they've had available for years like NDIS or NCIC so they need encouragement, education and if that doesn't work - they need to be mandated to utilize these systems. In time all things happen. Keep your prayers circulating and your fingers crossed GOOD THINGS ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN :)

[Shannon Vita]

This is such great news and what many of us have worked so hard for . finally a funded data base for LE !

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

Anybody want to fund me on an extended road trip? I'll just travel all over the country and train law enforcement, coroners and MEs on how to use NamUs.

Actually, I think the news media is really starting to like the story of NamUs and Billy's Law so maybe we should write to all the major print media outlets and encourage them to run articles. Or we really need to buddy up with an AP writer and let him/her get the word out. If LE, coroners and MEs start seeing enough articles on NamUs they will start jumping onboard.