The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has published its review of the powers available to police to search places for high-risk missing persons.
The missing person search powers are set out in Chapter 7, Part 3A of the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 (Qld).
The powers came into effect in 2018 to enable the Queensland Police Service to conduct searches where a person is missing and at high risk of harm if not found as quickly as possible, and the occupier of the location will or cannot give consent to the search. The introduction of these provisions addressed a small but significant gap in police powers.
The CCC’s review identified that the missing person search powers were used rarely, but when used, they proved to be a useful and valuable tool to progress investigations.
The CCC made two recommendations related to approval requirements and to recordkeeping.
The CCC was required to conduct this review by section 879 of the Act. As set out in that section, the CCC consulted with the Minister for Police and Community Safety in the course of preparing the report.
You can read the report “Searching places for high-risk missing persons” here.
The CCC is an independent agency combating major crime and reducing corruption for the benefit of the Queensland community.
ENDS
