The Windsor Police Service reports that at-risk youth accounted for over half of the missing persons incidents in 2023.
There were 1,257 missing person reports filed in 2023, compared to 1,110 incidents in 2022, a 13% increase year-over-year.
Out of the 1,257 incidents recorded in 2023, 100 young people accounted for 701 of those cases.
The incidents recorded in 2023 involved 596 people, compared to 483 in 2022, a 23% increase year-over-year.
Constable Ron Bercovici, Missing Persons Investigations Risk Coordinator, cites a number of issues for the rise in numbers including mental health, increased usage of recreational drugs by young people, a lack of resources to support frequently missing young people and vulnerable adults, financial hardships, and an increase in exploitative activities by bad actors through technology.
Bercovici says they have also improved the way missing people are reported, removing obstacles to allow more reports to address awareness and issues that lead to people being reported missing.
He says the figures are very concerning because since they started collecting certain statistics, from 2020 to 2023, they've seen a 68.8% increase in overall missing persons.
"That's why we've created projects and collaborated with other community partners who can assist this in this journey of trying to safe guard our community a bit better, such as the Youth Wellness Hub," says Bercovici.
The Windsor Police Service has been working with the Youth Wellness Hub Windsor-Essex on the Return Support Discussion Program, which aims to identify trends and work with youth to create an environment where they won't go missing again.
Since Nov. 1, 2023, WPS has referred 40 youth to the program which encompasses 276 incidents.
The program works to connect recently returned or located missing children and young people with a peer support worker, giving youth the chance to confidentially share their experiences, explain why they went missing and any risks or harm they faced during their missing episodes.