Australian Federal Police

Vice Chairman of the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children and former United States Senator, Mr Dennis DeConcini, will share information with Australian investigators when he visits Canberra as part of this year's National Missing Persons Week (August 1-7 1999).

Leading technology company, Sun Microsystems, is sponsoring a visit by Mr DeConcini on behalf of the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence's National Missing Persons Unit (NMPU).

Mr DeConcini, who also serves as Chairman of the Law Enforcement Committee for the United States based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), will be a guest speaker at the launch of National Missing Persons Week on Monday, August 2, 7.30am in the Mural Hall function room, at Parliament House, Canberra.

He will also attend a service of hope and remembrance for the families of missing people to mark the start of the Week on Sunday, August 1, 9.30am, at All Saints Church, Bonney Street, Ainslie, Canberra.

Mr DeConcini has served on the NCMEC's Board of Directors for five years and has been instrumental in establishing international links between missing persons agencies around the world.

He has had a long and distinguished career, serving for 18 years in the United States Senate. A former prosecutor, he is now a partner in the Washington based law firm of Parry Romani & DeConcini.

Among numerous positions held while in Congress, Mr DeConcini served as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government. He was also Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

"As research already conducted by the National Missing Persons Unit shows, the tragedy of missing people knows no social or geographical boundaries," Mr DeConcini said. "We are all affected and we are all part of the solution. I look forward to sharing my experiences and that of my colleagues with Australian agencies."

Coordinator of the National Missing Persons Unit, Ms Carol Kiernan, said Mr DeConcini's visit will further develop valuable links between search agencies and police in Australia and overseas.

"Information sharing is one of the keys to identifying trends or common issues that may contribute to why people go missing and the most successful methods of locating them," Ms Kiernan said.

Each year in Australia some 30,000 people are reported missing to police and tracing organisations such as the Australian Red Cross, The Salvation Army and the International Social Service. More than half these people are aged under 18.

Of the 28, 500 people reported missing to police, 99.5 per cent are located. Many are found within hours, 85 per cent are located within a week and 95 per cent within a month.

The NMPU's 1998 research study, 'Missing people: Issues for the Australian Community' found that locating Australia's missing people and the immediate health, employment and personal expenses incurred by family and friends costs the community at least $72 million per year.

It also found unprecedented evidence that the family and friends of missing people are affected significantly in terms of their health, work, quality of life, emotional state, relationships and finances.

National Missing Persons Week is an annual event coordinated by the NMPU in conjunction with police, the Australian Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the International Social Service and other community organisations. The Week aims to raise public awareness about Australia's missing people and associated issues.