Chattanooga Police show how they can help you find a missing loved one

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Few things can affect us all like a missing family member.

It’s not knowing what happened or why, that creates a daily stress.

The Chattanooga Police department sponsored an event today, offering valuable help.

Police Sgt. Vinne Holoman says there’s a misconception that people need to wait 24 hours to report a person missing. But that’s not the case.

“You should report them missing. Make a police report. Make us aware of it, and we’ll start trying to find them.”

The police department, along with a branch of the Tennessee State Chief Medical Examiner’s office, want to help you find that missing loved one or friend.

It’s called NAMUS—- National Missing and Unidentified Person’s System.

And it was started last year after legislation called “Help Find the Missing Act” ,was passed. .

What exactly can this group do?

Amy Dobbs with NAMUS SAYS “We are a repository for missing and unidentified cases and we work with law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners and then obviously the families of the missing. we bring them together to one central repository in addition to all of the biometrics.”

Participants can enter important information about the missing person into the NAMUS system and even provide DNA samples.
It’s all done at no cost.

Chuck Hall from the Medical Examiner’s Office says “We have seven unidentified remains in Hamilton County and we try to connect the DNA with different families.”

The NAMUS program uses local, state and national data bases to begin the process of bringing that missing person back home.

Holoman adds “It just may happen, an agency may find an unidentified body. So we’re able to match and link that DNA evidence from a loved one, and connect it with the unidentified person and hopefully we’ll have a match, and that family can gain some closure.”