Cumbria Constabulary has taken a significant step toward safeguarding missing veterans by adopting the Forcer Protocol. This groundbreaking initiative aims to prevent harm to service veterans who are lost or have gone missing upon their return home.
The Forcer Protocol serves as a powerful tool for Police, ensuring that critical information is readily available when searching for veterans. It grants police access to details such as key vulnerabilities and known risk factors, as well as information about where veterans have been found if they went missing previously. Importantly, veterans or their families must provide consent before sharing these details.
The protocol was developed by Claire Lilly, who named it after her late husband, Alan Forcer. Alan, who joined the military at the age of 16 and served in Northern Ireland and Kosovo, tragically took his own life after going missing in May 2020.
Here’s how the Forcer Protocol works:
- Preventive Measures: Before a veteran goes missing, they or their professional carers, family members, or friends can complete a form that records vital information related to the veteran. This information is crucial in case the veteran goes missing. The form is available on the Forcer Protocol – Safe and Found Online website.
- Three-Step Approach: When a person is reported missing to Cumbria Constabulary, call handlers to inquire whether the missing individual is a veteran during the initial assessment. If so, the Force’s Command and Control Room gains direct access to Safe and Found Online, providing critical information within minutes. The police then assess the risk and conduct investigations to locate the missing person.
- Single Veterans Pathway: Following the protocol, a referral is completed on a Single Veterans Pathway. This ensures that veterans receive the appropriate support and potentially reduces long-term demand on policing resources.
- Access Across Force Areas: While anyone can sign up for the Forcer Protocol, officers in the Cumbria area can automatically access details through Safe & Found Online when checking if a missing person is a veteran. In other force areas, the reporting person must explicitly mention that details have been submitted via the Forcer Protocol.
Inspector Charlie Tresham, from Cumbria Constabulary, expressed enthusiasm about implementing this life-saving initiative. He encouraged all service veterans, reservists, and current armed forces members to visit the Safe and Found Online website and complete the form. These details play a crucial role in locating veterans should they ever go missing.
Actor, author, and television presenter Ross Kemp, a key advocate of the Forcer Protocol, thanked Cumbria Police for adopting it. He emphasised that Safe and Found Online helps locate vulnerable individuals faster and provides essential information for approaching them once found. Kemp personally knows veterans who benefited from the protocol, ensuring their safety and reassuring their families.
With Cumbria Constabulary becoming the second force in the country to adopt the Forcer Protocol, this initiative stands as a beacon of promise for safeguarding veterans.
