Armed Forces Day sees the Forcer Protocol locate over 100 missing veterans

Since its launch in November 2023, the Forcer Protocol has helped find over 100 Missing From Home veterans.

The Forcer Protocol is a veterans initiative used by the police to ensure key information is available when searching for service veterans who are lost or have gone missing. GMP was originally the first force to implement the protocol, initially on a six-month pilot.

Earlier this month, Chief Inspector Mark Mangnall and Change Project Manager, Geoff Hurst, attended the national launch of the protocol at Hyde Park Barracks at Knightsbridge, London. The event saw representatives from across UK forces as well as an update and progress report on the GMP Pilot.

Following Cumbria’s implementation of the protocol, other forces’ have since followed suit with Northumbria ready to implement the protocol next month (July 2024).

Chief Inspector Mark Mangnall said: "The Forcer protocol has already identified and located 116 missing veterans, with this number increasing each week.

"Approximately 40% of these veterans have been referred to Op Nova for help and support. This referral is a crucial step in reducing the demand and recurrence of missing persons cases.

"I am proud of the work we are doing to support our armed forces communities here in Greater Manchester, and it is gratifying to see our efforts being rolled out nationally. Cumbria has started to identify and locate missing veterans since their launch in May 2024, and we have significant interest from other forces, with two more coming on board in July."

This week we have been celebrating Armed Forces Week, which will culminate in Armed Forces Day; a national celebration that shows support for the individuals who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving personnel to service families, veterans, and cadets.

The annual observation culminates on the last Saturday of June with Armed Forces Day, which looks to boost morale among serving soldiers and signals an appreciation for the work they do for the UK and across the world, with events taking place across Greater Manchester.

In aid of Armed Forces Week, at the start of the week, GMP raised the Armed Forces flag outside Force Headquarters, where it will remain flying into this weekend.