Why did the Ocean Club not call the police sooner?

[Anna]

OC/MW had a proper missing child procedure which they activated immediately.
How would people here write that procedure? Would you insist that police are called the moment a child goes out of view for a second? Or would your procedure mobilise staff and search the immediate area first, then phone police if that search was unsuccessful?

I appreciate what you are saying, Pegasus.
I agree that they had a very organised drill for a lost child at OC, which commenced about 22.30. (hardly out of sight for a second, though)
However she was 3 years old coming up to 4 years old, it was dark or dimly lit outside.
It is unlikely, that she would be seen by a motorist on the road, there were road works nearby and many other dangers for a little one.

It was not a daytime stroll by an older child familiar with its surroundings..................therefore IMO, the action required in this case was Urgent!!! Yet nobody felt the police should be informed sooner?

When did the police start to search?

[pegasus]

I appreciate what you are saying, Pegasus.
I agree that they had a very organised drill for a lost child at OC, which commenced about 22.30. (hardly out of sight for a second, though)
However she was 3 years old coming up to 4 years old, it was dark or dimly lit outside.
It is unlikely, that she would be seen by a motorist on the road, there were road works nearby and many other dangers for a little one.

It was not a daytime stroll by an older child familiar with its surroundings..................therefore IMO, the action required in this case was Urgent!!! Yet nobody felt the police should be informed sooner?

When did the police start to search?

1. A woman tourist told the 3 nannies at the evening creche that she had seen a man searching and shouting the missing girl's name.
2.One of these nannies (AT) immediately phoned their supervisor.
3.Their supervisor immediately put the missing child procedure into action:
"at around 10.20pm, she was informed by her colleague Amy T. that Madeleine McCann had disappeared. At that, she immediately launched the "missing child" procedure. This procedure consists of dividing the site into several areas, which are allocated to various of the company's employees to start searching for the missing child. To that effect, the informant explains that, around 10.25pm, the date indicated, the said procedure was begun, dividing the whole site into three distinct areas, namely the north zone, the central zone (including the area of the company) and all the roads surrounding the company and which go as far as the beach. Five of the company's employees were mobilised to coordinate the searches, helped by various people ( other employees, tourists and residents)"

[Anna]

1. A woman tourist told the 3 nannies at the evening creche that she had seen a man searching and shouting the missing girl's name.
2.One of these nannies (AT) immediately phoned their supervisor.
3.Their supervisor immediately put the missing child procedure into action:
"at around 10.20pm, she was informed by her colleague Amy T. that Madeleine McCann had disappeared. At that, she immediately launched the "missing child" procedure. This procedure consists of dividing the site into several areas, which are allocated to various of the company's employees to start searching for the missing child. To that effect, the informant explains that, around 10.25pm, the date indicated, the said procedure was begun, dividing the whole site into three distinct areas, namely the north zone, the central zone (including the area of the company) and all the roads surrounding the company and which go as far as the beach. Five of the company's employees were mobilised to coordinate the searches, helped by various people ( other employees, tourists and residents)"

Correct, but no police called until 22.41 and then what did the police do?

[pegasus]

Correct, but no police called until 22.41 and then what did the police do?

Only 20 minutes into the missing child procedure, a manager ordered police to be called in.
Police arrived fast, they were on the outskirts of PDL within about 11 minutes of being phoned.
The first GNR team was two officers, they searched briefly the apartment and immediate area, and called in help.
Next GNR officer to arrive was the Lagos commander, he did not search the apartment, instead he and one of the first two officers immediately did further searches of the area, by foot and car. And as more GNR arrived, they did more searches.

[Brietta]

Only 20 minutes into the missing child procedure, a manager ordered police to be called in.
Police arrived fast, they were on the outskirts of PDL within about 11 minutes of being phoned.
The first GNR team was two officers, they searched briefly the apartment and immediate area, and called in help.
Next GNR officer to arrive was the Lagos commander, he did not search the apartment, instead he and one of the first two officers immediately did further searches of the area, by foot and car. And as more GNR arrived, they did more searches.

The response to the reported absences of Madeleine McCann and Mikaeel Kular differed, as further reading of the link will confirm.
I was struck by the way in which Police Scotland managed and coordinated all the resources available to them including using publicity and volunteers.  In Portugal there was a resistance to publicity and the volunteers seemed to be doing their own thing.


**snip
The ‘Golden Hour’ is a term that is often talked about in missing person cases – and in respect of missing children time really is of the essence. The first three hours is the most important - with the next most significant period being within 24 hours.

It is now over 48 hours since Mikaeel Kular disappeared . He is described by police as a well-liked young boy whose speech had reached a level where he is able to hold a conversation with someone. That said, he is only three years old and therefore of a very vulnerable age.

Vulnerability is important because it determines the response by the police. In this case the police immediately dealt with his disappearance as ‘critical’, calling upon all the available resources of the newly-formed single police force in Scotland.

http://www.itv.com/news/2014-01-17/cctv-and-tip-offs-anatomy-of-a-missing-toddler-search-mikaeel-kular-edinburgh/

[G-Unit]

The response to the reported absences of Madeleine McCann and Mikaeel Kular differed, as further reading of the link will confirm.
I was struck by the way in which Police Scotland managed and coordinated all the resources available to them including using publicity and volunteers.  In Portugal there was a resistance to publicity and the volunteers seemed to be doing their own thing.


**snip
The ‘Golden Hour’ is a term that is often talked about in missing person cases – and in respect of missing children time really is of the essence. The first three hours is the most important - with the next most significant period being within 24 hours.

It is now over 48 hours since Mikaeel Kular disappeared . He is described by police as a well-liked young boy whose speech had reached a level where he is able to hold a conversation with someone. That said, he is only three years old and therefore of a very vulnerable age.

Vulnerability is important because it determines the response by the police. In this case the police immediately dealt with his disappearance as ‘critical’, calling upon all the available resources of the newly-formed single police force in Scotland.

http://www.itv.com/news/2014-01-17/cctv-and-tip-offs-anatomy-of-a-missing-toddler-search-mikaeel-kular-edinburgh/

Mikaeel was found to be missing at 0715. Searches began at 0900. Madeleine's disappearance was reported to the PJ at 2400. Searchers and dogs arrived at 0200. Not bad.

The PJ had to ask permission to release information to the press;

Subject: Request for Divulgation by means of the Press
As it is of clear interest to the investigation of the case in reference, I have the honour to ask you to authorise the divulgation of the disappearance of the young girl Madeleine McCann by means of the organs of the press, with the aim of obtaining information leading to her whereabouts.

I enclose a model for divulgation.

With best compliments

The Coordinator of the Investigation.

G. Amaral
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MADELINE.htm

 On 4th May, after having evaluated the situation surrounding the disappearance, the Lagos Post Commander ordered searches for the child to take place and contacted officers who were at home, forming a force of nine officers who searched during the night and early morning.

2. At 02.00 they arrived at P da L and began searching with the Portimao sniffer dog teams, the terrain searches were extended until the morning with the dogs and officers on the scene, as well as the night guard and local people who volunteered to help in the searches that took place throughout the night.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/GNR_SNIFFER.htm

The Uk police immediately focused on family and friends. (correctly, it would seem) The Portuguese police didn't, which Amaral saw as a mistake;

Do you think that you made any mistakes?

I made one. The error of the first hour. There are things about which I still cannot speak. But we know that there are things which could have been done in another way. No one should be shocked if we begin, immediately, to wonder if the parents were involved.
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id139.html

[ShiningInLuz]

The response to the reported absences of Madeleine McCann and Mikaeel Kular differed, as further reading of the link will confirm.
I was struck by the way in which Police Scotland managed and coordinated all the resources available to them including using publicity and volunteers.  In Portugal there was a resistance to publicity and the volunteers seemed to be doing their own thing.


**snip
The ‘Golden Hour’ is a term that is often talked about in missing person cases – and in respect of missing children time really is of the essence. The first three hours is the most important - with the next most significant period being within 24 hours.

It is now over 48 hours since Mikaeel Kular disappeared . He is described by police as a well-liked young boy whose speech had reached a level where he is able to hold a conversation with someone. That said, he is only three years old and therefore of a very vulnerable age.

Vulnerability is important because it determines the response by the police. In this case the police immediately dealt with his disappearance as ‘critical’, calling upon all the available resources of the newly-formed single police force in Scotland.

http://www.itv.com/news/2014-01-17/cctv-and-tip-offs-anatomy-of-a-missing-toddler-search-mikaeel-kular-edinburgh/

It's nice that by 17 Jan 2014 Scotland had learned that getting their newly-formed single police force out in a rapid, co-ordinated manner was the type of response we'd like to see.

So which case study did they learn this from?

Did Portugal 3 May 2007 have such a case study to learn this from?  If they did, the Portuguese response can be criticised.

[Brietta]

It's nice that by 17 Jan 2014 Scotland had learned that getting their newly-formed single police force out in a rapid, co-ordinated manner was the type of response we'd like to see.

So which case study did they learn this from?

Did Portugal 3 May 2007 have such a case study to learn this from?  If they did, the Portuguese response can be criticised.

Without research I cannot give details of a particular case study, but I would say from observation that the Police Scotland handling of the case was textbook, with the correct procedures in place to apprehend the perpetrator.

 ... however in the case of missing child Moira Anderson aged 11 who vanished on 23 February, 1957, the police are still investigating what may have happened to her and have continued to look for her body even receiving permission to exhume a grave which was open at the time of her disappearance.

The determination to solve cases involving children has been there in Scotland for as long as I have known it.

I daresay a Portuguese team of experts in 2007 would have had access to similar training that the Brits and other nationalities would have accessed at the time. 

No-one in the Portuguese investigation into Madeleine McCann's case had such training, although as befits a modern police force there were those in Portugal who had.

There was also the example of the Casa Pia investigation to follow.

[Anna]

Forget about what the McCanns and co, did and didn’t do for a minute.

I do not put the blame on anyone as it was definitely a time of much confusion.

However, People knew and called reception and other staff from approx 10.10pm, but no call was made from OC to police until 10.41 pm

  Helder Jorge Samaio Luis
……………Occupation: Receptionist Ocean Club.
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post193.html#p193
  Emma Louise KNIGHT
Occupation: Hotel Manager
Date: 30th April 2008
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic9-50.html
 Jeronimo Tomas Rodrigues Salcedas 
Date: 2007/05/06
Occupation: Barman / Waiter
Place of Work: Ocean Club
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic9-140.html

[G-Unit]

Forget about what the McCanns and co, did and didn’t do for a minute.

I do not put the blame on anyone as it was definitely a time of much confusion.

However, People knew and called reception and other staff from approx 10.10pm, but no call was made from OC to police until 10.41 pm

  Helder Jorge Samaio Luis
……………Occupation: Receptionist Ocean Club.
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post193.html#p193
  Emma Louise KNIGHT
Occupation: Hotel Manager
Date: 30th April 2008
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic9-50.html
 Jeronimo Tomas Rodrigues Salcedas 
Date: 2007/05/06
Occupation: Barman / Waiter
Place of Work: Ocean Club
http://themaddiecasefiles.com/topic9-140.html

It seems to me that the receptionist wasn't prepared to call the police until told to do so by someone in authority, i.e. John Hill.

[Anna]

It seems to me that the receptionist wasn't prepared to call the police until told to do so by someone in authority, i.e. John Hill.

My thoughts exactly, G. The receptionist must have been in quite a tizzy too.