Man found dead after being reported missing - Metropolitan Police Service, June 2018

On 6 June 2018 a man was reported missing to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) as he hadn’t made the usual contact to a relative. The man was graded by officers as a ‘medium-risk’ missing person. He had no mental health issues and there were no concerns he would self-harm. Officers looked for him at his home address, called his mobile and made hospital checks.

At 12.15am on 7 June, officers visited a second property, which the man was due to move into. There was no response, and officers looking through net-curtained windows saw no furniture or evidence of occupancy. A police record proposed they revisit the property in the light of day.

On the morning of 7 June 2018 a relative of the man contacted the council housing officer and repeated his concerns. The housing officer went to the man’s new flat with a locksmith. They gained entry and found the man dead on the kitchen floor. The police deemed it a non-suspicious death.

Our investigation looked at police protocols and missing person’s management. Our investigators reviewed and analysed body-worn camera footage and statements from officers who had been to the man’s property.

The evidence indicated that a new alignment of borough operational command units had made computer records difficult to access and, as a result, the request for a second visit to the property was not picked up.

Based on the evidence available we found no indication that any police officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or committed a criminal offence.

However, we recommended that the MPS should be pro-active in anticipating any potential impacts on IT processes during any realignment or amalgamation of geographical areas, and amend IT systems prior to any wider changes being implemented.

We concluded our investigation in February 2019.

After reviewing our report, the MPS advised that they had flagged this incident up with the MPS Continuous Improvement Team to consider if a review of the missing person reporting policy was required, specifically in relation to IT. The force also passed information from our report to the Prevention and Reduction Team in the Department of Professional Standard Department, to raise awareness and to progress.