Enhancing missing persons search strategies through technological touchpoints

Abstract

ABSTRACT The search for the missing persons is a top priority for police, and technology is playing an increasingly important role in increasing the accuracy and rigour of these investigations. This study aims to increase understanding of police decision-making in the missing persons search process and to examine the desired point and level of technology participation from the user's perspective. Three empirical studies and workshops were conducted with police, UX researchers, and computer science researchers. During the workshops, participants developed diagrams to represent police work methods and difficulties and discussed how to identify optimal touch points for technology integration. The findings revealed that the uncertainty of information is the biggest challenge in missing persons search, and that closed-circuit television (CCTV) is a valuable tool. A comparative experiment was conducted to compare the CCTV utilisation investigation strategies of police experts and novices. Findings showed that experts are more efficient and effective in using CCTV to search for missing persons. Experts used their experiential knowledge to interpret information and judge the reliability of information more accurately than novices. Additionally, novices used strategies through rapid repetition of trial and error, while experts made decisions based on experience and intuition, but pursued decision-making based on explicit information. The study concludes by discussing technological approaches for information identification, analysis, and labour replacement in missing person investigations. Such approaches could help overcome the challenge of uncertainty and improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of these investigations.