What We Do
Sussex Community Search Team (SCST) members have been police vetted and specially trained to systematically search for missing persons and associated property to the very high standards expected of and by our police forces.
Primary Searches
When a high-risk vulnerable person is reported missing an urgent search may be needed, but this could be at a time when available police resources are already heavily committed to other critical tasks. Our dedicated volunteers enable the police to call upon a force of trained searchers to supplement their professional resources, at a very small cost to the community.
Searching for a missing person takes a lot of effort. SCST can, at short notice, call on over 100 fully trained and experienced searchers, who the police know they can trust to conduct a speedy yet thorough search of areas allocated to them. Once tasked, we will carry out the required search and keep the police updated, interacting with their officers as appropriate, so that missing persons have the best possible chance of being located quickly. Finding the missing person as soon as possible might be key to their survival, and can provide enormous comfort and relief to their relatives and friends.
A missing person, a 'misper', is often someone considered as having a high-risk vulnerability: this might be due to their age – young or old - certain medical conditions or even their clothing e.g. pyjamas in winter. These are known as primary searches where we will sometimes be working not only with the police but also Sussex Search and Rescue and with Search Dogs Sussex. Sometimes the search needs to cover a large area rapidly and every trained searcher is valuable. At other times a more thorough search is needed, for example, not every missing person wants to be found or they might have collapsed or been injured.
There are two excellent guides to police practice for missing persons:
'How the police search', written by the 'missing people' charity in conjunction with the police, has a number of helpful guides: they can be found here.
A more technical and detailed guide is the authorized police practice, written by the College of Policing, and can be found here. Scroll down the page to find the navigation: there's everything from an overview and introduction to quick reference guides. It is written for police officers and so is comprehensive and definitive.
Secondary Searches
Secondary searches are how we assist to secure evidence or an area. They are usually of the more thorough type, requiring a careful examination of the scene. The sought item might be a good size, shiny and brightly coloured like a bike, but in thick summer heathland. Or the item could be small and concealed, like a knife pressed into the ground to prevent it being found. We search for key items of property associated with a missing person, to help establish a trail or timeline, or for potential evidence in a crime. One last example: parks and similar areas might have discarded drug paraphernalia, a risk to children especially, and we conduct 'safety sweeps' as requested by the police.
Community Support
We also assist in other urgent situations wherever willing, trusted and diligent hands are needed.
Good examples are the work done supporting the NHS response to the pandemic and our preparedness to help Sussex Resilience Forum partners in the event of a civil emergency.