Are PolSAs the right resource for managing missing persons search?
A while back I wrote a briefing paper, Spaced Out Searchers, that formed the basis for the ALSAR Conference presentation, Advances in Lowland Search Techniques. In it I discussed how ALSAR Units search techniques had changed because they were working with PolSAs who, because of the experience of search tended to want areas “cleared”.
To understand this you need to understand the main role of a PolSA. The role of a PolSA is to provide Chief Constables advice on the management of low-risk counter terrorist and explosive device search. That is, they search for devices in situations where there may potentially be devices, but that it is not suspected – for Royal visits etc.
When dealing with explosives you want to be pretty sure you haven’t missed anything so PolSAs and police offices trained in search are trained in terms of absolutes – either there is something there, or there isn’t. This works well too in the extension of the PolSAs work with evidence searches. Again, SIOs want to be confident that something is either there, or not.
However, as I stated in the paper, this takes time and resource. In order to have that level of confidence a PolSA will use whatever amount of resource for whatever length of time is required to achieve it. Missing person search is different. Time is critical; the misper is dying as time goes by – just take a look at the survivabilty figures for the evidence! And, unlike a planned operation, you only have the resources available to you there and then [which are never enough!]
This is where the mathematics of search theory comes in to play – allowing the optimum use of those resources available to you over time. [I will write a series of posts on this soon.]
However, the concepts of probabilities must be extremely difficult for officers trained in searching in absloutes to get their head around – especially when in one search one thing is called for, then in the next search which might even be during the same operational period or day, another search style needs to be used.
A radical thought came to be yesterday – why do we then train PolSAs to run our missing person searches? Why not train other, non police search trained officers to run missing persons searches?
I’d love to hear your thoughts;
November 12, 2009
· 
Robert Bradley · 
4 Comments
Tags: ALSAR, ALSAR Presentation, Counter Terrorist Search, Evidence Search, Missing Person Search, PolSA, Search Theory, SIO, Spaced Out Searchers, Survivability · Posted in: Search Thoughts
4 Responses
Are you suggesting this from the point of veiw of the police or ALSAR?
The police would possibly say search is search and that why not have one type of officer trained in search for various different items?
ALSAR I feel would agree with you, that a different police mindset would make some searches easier. But maybe this is our fault as ALSAR teams – the police would have to really trust our judgement in order to abandon their “clearing” mentality and allow us to potentially miss the misper… It takes a huge leap of faith for someone to take on a whole new way of thinking and it will not happen if we cannot show the police that it works, and that it works better than their way. I would suggest that it’s not only PolSAs who would find our way of searching hard to get their heads around – it seems that a lot of people who attend UKLSI courses also find it a hard concept to grasp?
The real question should possibly be “How are we going to show the police what we can do and how well it works?”
There are a number of issues that need to be unpicked here. In my experience the role of a PolSA is generally taken on as an additional part of someone’s day job. There is therefore a wide variability in the understanding of missing persons search, generally based on how much contact the PolSA has had with a SAR team and also their personal interest and motivation to understand and apply new techniques.
I feel the way forward is to develop more formal links with PolSAs and include them as much as possible in our activities. The police have a statutory duty to manage the land search at the end of the day and I feel it is unrealistic to think that ALSAR teams would be given that same level of autonomy that MR teams might be used to given that the techniques we employ are generally less specialist than those needed above 2000m.
I agree with Jennie that we need to be much better at demonstrating what we can do and how well it does work. Evidence speaks volumes even if it does feel counterintuitive.
I agree with John on this.
Inclusion of POLSAs with the teams can only be of benefit. If we cant convince a POLSA of the benefits of our search methods based on the theory and the empirical evidence then perhaps we are the ones at fault.
My experience is that more and more POLSAs are attending search management courses these days and learning the skills and techniques that we use. I spent some time teaching at the Police National Search Centre some years ago and it was clear even then that the role of the POLSA was moving more and more into missing persons and that therefore a different mindset and skillset was required.
To be honest I’m surprised ALSAR hasnt tapped into that particular opportunity though I hear lots of teams do have Police Officers attending their courses, which can only be a good thing.
I can’t disagree with any of the comments on here.
There are though, two different issues, the first to do with the relationship between ALSAR Units and the second for the police forces themselves.
As already discussed in detail ALSAR and individual ALSAR Units do need to work closely with their local PolSAs to ensure everyone understands each other role and differing responsibilities. There are many examples of best practice around the country but all generally based upon building a good working relationship; really working so that both understand what each other does, and doesn’t do, and teaching each other how to improve. ALSAR needs to work at a higher level, demonstrating the effectiveness of “our” way of searching for missing persons. I pointed out my disappointment of the search practice guidance when it came out that search theory was not even mentioned in it – yet supposedly we all use it to find mispers quickly and efficiently.
Within police forces, however, things could change. Why use PolSAs for missing person search that is so different from their other roles in evidence and explosive searches? Why not train other officers (because after all PolSAs require the same additional training) in missing person search? If one or two of these were based in each area it would also ease the problem of area officers trying to relinquish “control” of the investigation to PolSAs – effectively trying to hand it all over. The investigation and search could be run at a local level, with only search resource being brought in – including volunteer teams.
Whilst cost should not be an issue in search [it is!] this would also be cheaper for the police – not calling in a PolSA, often a more senior (more expensive) officer, on overtime for something that could be done by someone else.
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