Training police search and rescue teams: Implications for missing persons work
| Published date | 01 July 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/17488958211057380 |
| Date | 01 July 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/17488958211057380
Criminology & Criminal Justice
2023, Vol. 23(3) 431 –449
© The Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/17488958211057380
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Training police search and
rescue teams: Implications
for missing persons work
Lorna Ferguson
University of Western Ontario, Canada
Janne E Gaub
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Abstract
Police search and rescue teams are crucial players in resolving missing person cases.
Resultantly, police employ a host of training for search and rescue members in collaboration
with institutions, organizations, and groups. Such training, however, has not been studied. This
warrants attention as, in a time of police legitimacy crises and austerity policing, appropriate
and quality police training for effective, efficient practices is imperative. Therefore, we
examined the training needs and offerings for police search and rescue personnel, and their
impact on search and rescue operations and work, through thematic analysis of interviews
with 52 police search and rescue members from 17 agencies across Canada. Findings suggest
there are no homogeneous, structured, or standardized training offerings for police search
and rescue personnel. Instead, training varies within and across agencies and regions, and
between officers and roles, as it is commonly based upon anecdotal experiences and in-house
developed “best practices.” We discuss the implications of these findings for police search
and rescue operations and work.
Keywords
Missing persons, police search and rescue, police training, policing, qualitative research,
specialty unit
Corresponding author:
Lorna Ferguson, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
Email: lfergu5@uwo.ca
1057380CRJ0010.1177/17488958211057380Criminology & Criminal JusticeFerguson and Gaub
research-article2021
Article
432 Criminology & Criminal Justice 23(3)
Introduction
On Sunday, 28 March 2021, 3-year-old Jude Walter Leyton was reported missing to the
police in Ontario, Canada, generating substantial media and public attention (Gillis,
2021). The young age of Jude, nature of his disappearance (“took off” within a “split
second”), and proximal area and terrain from where he was reported missing—a 200-
acre resort in a rural area bordered by thick woods and foliage—prompted a large-scale
search and rescue (SAR) operation (Crosier, 2021). This involved civilian SAR volun-
teers, the Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association, and the Ontario Provincial
Police (OPP) SAR team, introducing helicopters, drones, police dogs, and a diving team
to the operation (Crosier, 2021; Yousif, 2021). These police efforts and community sup-
ports resulted in a successfully resolved missing toddler case and an inspiring story. After
extensive recovery attempts, Jude was found in good health 3 days later near a beaver
pond, 980 meters from the resort lodge (Mazur and Bimman, 2021).
This story highlights a successfully resolved missing person, emergency situation that
ultimately resulted in a positive outcome due to police SAR response. However, some
cases do not fare so well. Numerous persons documented missing to the police remain
undiscovered, despite all police efforts to locate them in the quickest possible time and
best condition. Therefore, the importance of efficacious SAR operations is evident,
where, in the worst-case scenario, persons reported missing to the police can face harm,
vulnerability, victimization, and even death (Doyle and Barnes, 2020; Epstein, 2021;
Ferguson, 2021; LePard et al., 2015; Newiss, 2005).
Appropriate and quality training is a critical component of successfully resolving
cases quickly and efficiently, which, ultimately, lessens the chances of an unfortunate
outcome. Training can be a powerful facilitator of the ability to produce consistent, qual-
ity, and reliable policing services—in essence, homogenization across abilities, compe-
tencies, and processes (Larson, 1977). Decades of scholarship have pointed to the adverse
outcomes of poor-quality, inadequate, or inappropriate training (e.g. Butterfield et al.,
2004; Cordner and Shain, 2011; Ericson and Haggerty, 1997; Harris, 2001; Stiles et al.,
1997). Stiles et al. (1997), for example, write that deficient training can impact low or
unsatisfactory worker commitment to the organization and a misalignment between roles
and practice. Within the policing context, poor training can result in officer frustration,
low or no motivation to “do the job,” and/or misconduct (Stiles et al., 1997). Hence,
training is an essential element of police administration with acute effects on officer
performance and police operations (Cordner and Shain, 2011). In a time of significant
declines in public trust toward police and increased public scrutiny (i.e. legitimacy cri-
ses; see Todak, 2017), it is critical for police to have adequate and quality training. In
addition, the rise in austerity policing places significant emphasis on efficiency and
effectiveness in policing (Huey et al., 2016). Therefore, studying and evaluating police
training to assess whether it meets these goals are essential.
This study draws on interview data from SAR personnel in 17 police agencies across
Canada to examine the role-based training offerings and needs. Our findings show incon-
sistent training regardless of role, despite a need and desire for a more standardized,
consistent approach. We then discuss the implications of these findings, including their
utility, to help map the current state of police SAR training across the various roles and
identify areas for improvement.
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