The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed the week of April 29 to May 5 as Missing Persons Week.聽 This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淲e All Have a Role.鈥�
鈥淭hese seven days are an opportunity to raise awareness and focus on what needs to be done to help prevent people from going missing,鈥� Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan said. 鈥淭he more information people have about what their options are when family and friends go missing, the more likely we are to find these individuals and reduce the number of missing people in the province.鈥�
According to the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police website, there are 126 long-term missing persons in the province.
鈥淢ost people can only imagine the heartbreak and anguish a family goes through when a loved one goes missing,鈥� Corrections and Policing Minister Christine Tell said. 鈥淎s a province, it鈥檚 important that we come together to support the families of missing people and work together to address issues and improve our ability to prevent, intervene, and provide support in missing persons cases.鈥�
Long-term missing persons include men, women and children from all areas of the province.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 theme is so appropriate,鈥� Weyburn Police Service Chief and Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police President Marlo Pritchard said. 鈥淎s 鈥榃e All Have a Role鈥� in not only helping to support victims鈥� families and finding those already missing, but to come together as a community to prevent other people from becoming a missing person in the future.鈥�
In Saskatchewan, the Provincial Partnership Committee on Missing Persons leads collaborative work to address issues related to prevention, intervention and support in cases involving missing persons.聽 The committee includes representatives from government, police, First Nations, M茅tis, and community-based organizations.
For more information on how to assist families of missing persons, visit www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/family-and-social-support/help-for-families-of-missing-or-murdered-persons.
