Episode 6 of the Missing Persons Research Hub podcast features Cpl. Jennifer Sparkes. "Systemic issues associated to risk assessment, unnecessary barriers, poor communication, lack of consultation, failure to triage...” the list of criticisms of police management of missing person investigations is long and familiar. Cpl. Jennifer Sparkes of the RCMP joins us to share how her District mitigates these concerns and directly accounts for each and every missing person investigation in their geographic region using a consistent and coordinated approach to oversight.  Using specialized resources to support and connect police, partners, and families across multiple jurisdictions, this regional model provides an easily accessible communication and information hub for all aspects of missing person investigations. By assessing each case through a consistent lens and advancing investigations in a coordinated fashion, this approach provides complete accountability through readily available, directly-sourced information, some of which challenges widely-held assumptions and beliefs. The result is an evidence-based foundation for the development of protocols, policies, and best practices, with impacts spanning from effective resolution of cases to efficient utilization of police resources to accurately informing public perception.

Cpl. Jennifer Sparkes, who has been an RCMP investigator for 20 years and has spent the past 8 years exclusively specializing in missing person investigations. Cpl. Sparkes is the District Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains Coordinator for “E” Division Southeast District, based in Kelowna, British Columbia.

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The Missing Persons Research Hub (the Hub) is a national networking forum and research hub for the field of missing persons in Canada. This podcast is hosted by Lorna Ferguson (@LFrgsn) and features a variety of personnel involved in missing persons work across Canada.