Speaking Up & Asking for Help on Behalf of Folks Who Cannot Speak for Themselves

To follow up on my July 25, 2010 post . . .

My cousin (mentally disabled adult—capacity of a ten-year-old or younger) was reported as “missing.”

She had never left the house by herself but she did this particular night (around midnight)

She was in her slippers, denim trousers and fleece jacket.

She was recovering from surgery.

To help your loved ones when working with the police… If we had prior experience with “missing person” these would be the questions to ask the police:

• Will other counties be alerted?
• Will public transportation systems in our county and other counties be alerted? How about BART?
• What if she got into a stranger’s car?
• Will hospital emergency rooms be alerted?
• How can we work fast to ask neighbors if they saw our loved one around the time of the disappearance?  How do we disseminate fliers?

• Also, get names of officers, phone numbers, and report/case numbers.
• Ask “What will happen next?” “Then what?”  “Who will be in charge then?”

Thank you, San Francisco Police Dept.!      http://sf-police.org/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/