Saskatoon missing persons reports rose by 15 per cent in 2022

Saskatoon's Board of Police Commissioners discussed the growing number of missing people reports in the city on Thursday.

A report presented to the board showed that the Saskatoon Police Service received 3,372 missing persons reports last year, an increase of 458, or 15.7 per cent, from the 2,914 reports in 2021.

"Our unit believes that there is an increase overall because there's better awareness of the missing person reporting as a result of the MMIWG [crisis] and the Missing and Missed report leading people [to be] more apt to make a missing person report for the family members or loved one," Staff Sgt. Cory Lineus said.

"We're also seeing the lasting effects of COVID-19 by way of mental health complications brought on by isolation, increased drug use and domestic violence in homes."

In 2022, 2,576 missing persons reports were for youth, 780 were for adults and 16 were for mental health patients that left a hospital or psychiatric unit against medical advice and without being discharged.

Regulations skewing the missing youth numbers

Habituated missing youth — kids that had been reported missing more than once during 2022 — accounted for 67 per cent of the reports.

According to Don Meikle, Saskatoon's EGADZ Youth Centre's executive director, a lot of the habituated missing youth are under government care.

Meikle said the number of reports for youth in government care can be skewed by most group home's regulations being set by provincial policy. 

"A lot of times care providers know where the young people are — they could be at a friend's place, they could be with family," Meikle said. 

"But if they don't come home at the set time, the service provider is obligated to call them in as missing." 

Using an app to reduce reports

In 2017, EGADZ developed the Operation Runaway risk assessment tool in partnership with the Saskatoon Police Service and the Ministry of Social Services.That tool helps youth workers assess the risk level if a young person doesn't come home as scheduled.

In January 2023, EGADZ launched the Missing Youth Saskatchewan app after completing a successful pilot project. If the risk assessment tool leads the worker to report the young person missing, they can easily share all their information with their local police services through the app.

Lineus said the app is generating interest across the province and from police agencies across Canada. 

"While all our numbers are going up in the city, specifically Egadz group home numbers are dropping due to the app," Lineus said.

Of the nearly 1,500 risk assessments completed by EGADZ staff last year, only 235 resulted in missing person reports to Saskatoon police, a previous provincial news release said.

Meikle added that the app will allow the police to put less resources into missing person reports.

"When the police get a missing persons report, they're actually looking for a missing person," Meikle said. "It's not a kid that just hasn't returned home yet."

Meikle said the app will help the kids because they won't have to endure the embarrassment that comes from being labelled as missing.

"A big part of it is starting to build relationships with young people so they feel safe and they feel OK to talk to people," Meikle said.

He gave an example of a 17-year-old who was just at a friend's house, but was taken home in a police vehicle.

"So where does the trust come ever again to let them know where you are. Do you think they're going to call you the next time? No. Then they're even more at risk."