ESSEX Police have featured on BBC’s The One Show this evening to highlight our use of The Herbert Protocol with missing people investigations.

The Herbert Protocol is a form that an individual or the carers, family or friends of a vulnerable person can fill it. It contains information regarding an individual including any medication they require, their mobile numbers and a recent photograph. It also contains any information about particular areas they visit or have historic connections to.

By allowing the police to have this information, it means officers are better informed when carrying out those initial enquiries. As well as this, it saves time allowing searches for a missing individual to be carried out sooner.

In today’s feature on The One Show, Carol bravely shared her experiences of her contact with Essex Police when her 91-year-old father Robert went missing in August last year. Robert was missing for three days before being found in a field in Colchester by officers, with assistance from NPAS.

Within three minutes of placing the 999 call, Carol confirmed with the call handler that the Herbert Protocol was in place, meaning that our officers were able to quickly gather the information to begin enquiries.

Speaking with the presenter, Carol said how “when you’re in a heightened stressed state, having that information already available to police was useful.”

Also on the show were Essex Police representatives, Police Constable Jordan Frisby and our missing persons lead Jules Bottazzi.

In his interview, PC Frisby described how concerned Essex Police were due to Robert’s age and being out for a long period of time on a warm day. PC Frisby acted as a family liaison officer, staying on past his shift to make sure that Robert’s family were supported.

Jules Bottazzi, Missing persons lead for Essex Police and Head of our Strategic Vulnerability Centre, said “We felt it so important to use a national TV show to highlight the Herbert Protocol and the work we do at Essex Police to help find vulnerable missing people.

“For a missing person’s family or loved one, that moment they call the police is extremely traumatic. It’s important that we can gather as much information as possible about that person including a photograph and any places they have been known to frequent – even places from many years ago. The Herbert Protocol form makes this easier, allowing the police to have access to that information quickly so that we can be best informed to begin our enquiries.

If anyone has watched today’s feature on The One Show and would like more information, this can be found on our website.”

More information about the Herbert Protocol and how we use it at Essex Police, visit our website: Herbert Protocol | Essex Police