Launch event featuring Deputy Chief Officer Ian Drysdale, Claire Lilly and Chief Inspector Gary Woodwood Photo: Kent Police
Kent Police has officially adopted The Forcer Protocol, a tool designed to help locate missing veterans more quickly and prevent them from coming to harm.
The protocol, launched on October 30th, provides police with vital information about veterans, such as vulnerabilities, risk factors, and previous missing person incidents. This information can help officers prioritize searches and respond more effectively to missing person cases.
The initiative was founded by Claire Lilly in memory of her husband, Alan Forcer, a veteran who tragically took his own life in 2020. With over 61,000 veterans residing in Kent, the protocol aims to provide a crucial safety net for this vulnerable population.
Chief Inspector Gary Woodward expressed the force’s commitment to utilizing this life-saving tool. He emphasized the potential impact of the protocol in preventing harm and locating missing veterans. To utilize the Forcer Protocol, veterans, family members, or caregivers can complete a form online, providing essential information that could be critical in a missing person situation.
Officers will only ever ask for the information provided on the form if the person is reported to them as a missing person using the following three-step approach:
- The person is reported missing to Kent Police. The call handler will then ask whether that person is known to be a veteran in every missing case as part of the initial assessment. They can then get direct access to Safe and Found Online, giving them crucial information in a matter of minutes.
- Kent Police will then identify the risk, investigate, and will hopefully locate the missing person safe and well.
- A referral is then completed on a Single Veterans Pathway, particularly through Operation Nova and the NHS, to ensure that the veteran gets the correct support they need, and also will potentially reduce demand on policing in the long-term.
Whilst anyone can sign-up, it is important to note that if the person who is missing is in the Kent area, officers will automatically be able to access the details through Safe & Found Online when checking if they are a veteran. If in another force area, the person reporting the missing person needs to make it clear to the respective police force that details have been submitted through the Forcer Protocol so an access request can be granted to them.
Claire Lilly said:
‘Since we launched the Forcer Protocol in Manchester last year, more than 170 veterans have been safely located.
‘I would like to extend our families deepest gratitude to Kent Police for adopting the Forcer Protocol. It means so much to see a network so invested in driving real change.’