Among the many things we do at LCM, missing people has become a focus. As one scans the posts of our Facebook group, it’s hard not to notice the number of missing people. Scrolling through, one gets the sense that the problem isn’t trivial – people have gone missing at what seems like an alarming rate.
Perhaps the problem seems more prolific because social media amplifies the outreach. Families and friends of loved ones gone absent spread the information far and wide in hopes someone will have spotted their loved ones.
The organic spread on the internet can also be frustrating when sites are incorrect or not kept current. Finding definitive information is challenging and local law enforcement sites offer little additional help. Obtaining updates on those that have been found and the circumstances that occurred is next to impossible.
As we’ve been redeveloping on our own web site, we began to recognize an opportunity to help. Because of our ability to reach a large group of people, we can utilize that platform to get missing persons information out to the public while filling some of the gaps previously mentioned. With our dynamic data-driven approach to our recent site upgrade, we can adapt that methodology to help serve this cause.
Lane County doesn’t have a definitive listing for missing persons. A Google search reveals that the next best resource is the Oregon State Police. Their database is a good place to start but is limited in scope having only partial biographical information about the person such as height, weight, hair & eye color, etc., but no other identifiers or even photos that might aid one in their search. Additional sites exist but lack regular updating.
Our vision is growing and adapting daily as we interact with others on the subject, and we feel this is a good place for our energy. We’re excited to get this online but also want to ensure that we get it right. We’d like to hear from you for input on this topic as well and invite your feedback.
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