DES MOINES, Iowa — Editor's note: The above video is from April 2021.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) relaunched its Missing Person Information Clearinghouse website, which hosts information about the more than 300 people currently missing in the state.
The site, iowamissingpersons.com, now has a more interactive design and advanced functions to make it easier for the public to help identify and locate missing people.
The DPS established the clearinghouse within the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in 1985 to compile and disseminate information about missing persons and unidentified bodies/persons. In 2005, the clearinghouse created a public-facing website that combines an individual’s identification data from law enforcement agencies across the state with a photo provided by families.
Upgraded features include an advanced search function that allows users to select identifiable body details, date of birth, type of incident and originating law enforcement agency. Users can also create a downloadable poster featuring a missing person and access a child fingerprint identification kit.
Medina Rahmanovic, the DCI's clearinghouse coordinator, said the main purpose of the new site is to share information about missing people. But the site also serves as an educational hub with resources to prevent child and adult runaways and abductions along with general information about issues involving missing persons.
Rahmanovic added that a key priority for the DCI is to reduce the number of profiles without photos.
More than 75% of the approximately 300 missing persons in the state do not currently have photos available.
“We have been working for many years toward our goal of generating awareness, prevention and cooperation, and updating the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse website to make it more user-friendly,” Rahmanovic said. “We need the public’s assistance."
Community members can share photos of missing people with the DCI by emailing mpicinfo@dps.state.ia.us.”
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