To wonder if it's really a good idea having the whole community out looking for April?

[AnnaKissed]

Just saw on telly this morning, that the whole of the town is out looking for the poor little girl abducted in Wales. There were even people who had driven from a town an hour away to join in the search.

Of course if it was my child, I would want everything possible to be done to find her, but I wonder if the police are acting responsibly by encouraging this.

What will happen if she is found by a random group of locals? To her, to the abductors, to the crime scene? I can't see how this particular side of the story is going to end well. Even the fact that the search is being reported so widely could have dangerous consequences.

Of course my heart goes out to the family.

If she's not been harmed it's possible that she has been stashed away in an outbuilding/cave - this means a member of the public could find her. It's a massive area with lots of quiet spots where a child could be hidden.

Well surely the most important thing to to find her....the rest can be dealt with after.

If my DS went missing I would want the whole world looking for him and sod it if it contaminates the crime scene etc.

People pull together in times of crisis - I think that is a good thing.

The police have asked everyone to stop for exactly those sorts of reasons. It sounded (Today prog this morning) as though that's what's happening.

The police have actually asked volunteers to step down now.

They are organised, controlled, supervised and instructed by the police. They are not randomly rampaging over the area.

YABU

I read today that the police have asked the community to stop looking now and leave it to the people trained to do so.

The statement I heard this morning has asked people not to go out in force but to leave it to the professionals. The police officer said that it was fantastic to know that if they needed people, they knew they could rely on the community, and that they wouldn't hesitate to call on volunteers if they needed numbers out in force again, but for the moment, it was important to let the people trained for it to get on with their job.
I would imagine that it is to do with things like the heat-seeking equipment they've brought in not being as useful if there are hot bodies everywhere, and smells being covered up by all the new tracks being laid, making it harder for the sniffer dogs.

If your child was found harmed or worse, you wouldn't think 'sod it' if the crime scene was contaminated as it could mean the perpetrator getting away with it.

YABU

I see what you are saying Chips but I think to be honest I would just want every effort put into finding my DS. I can see both sides.

I think there probably comes a point when the people trying to help just get in the way- sounded this morning from what the police officer said that they may have reached that point. In which case, the extra people may be impeding rather than helping. I think as they've been asked to stop, they need to stop- I'm guessing the police have a reason for asking that.

I see both sides too. If it was my child, or in my village I would want to be out there looking too, but from the police's perspective I wonder if they are actually causing more of a headache for the investigation...? Chances are she's not still in the local area anyway. And if she is found there, the police will have a vigilante attack to deal with as well I would imagine.

i think it is very touching to see people come together to help but situations like this will always have those who are wanting to get a little too involved

if the police are asking them to leave it up to the professionals i hope they listen there are a number of reasons why lots of people out looking could cause more problems

Police have asked for locals to come back to help an organised search again.

The police will have information we don't, too, as well as being the experts on what works in this sort of situation. They've been interviewing a suspect. I don't think others are in any position to make an informed judgement on what's helpful, so should follow police requests (and presumably are doing).

I'd guess that part of the reason for asking volunteers to stand back for now is that the weather conditions are apparantly quite bad in the area they are searching, and the police won't want to have to deal with any accidents or injuries that would inevitably occur with such large numbers of people out in bad weather. The police have a duty of care to keep the volunteers safe, and that will be very difficult for them.

just seen that police may have requested public help again

When a man from my area went missing miles from home hundreds of people travelled up there to help in the search. I think they started searching before the police and then when the police got involved they asked them to stop for the same reasons.

I've just seen the press conference with her mother and it's heart breaking i hope she's found soon.

Does anyone know who was supervising April whilst she was out playing as her parents were at a parents evening?

I got the impression the Police asking helpers to stand down is more to do with the treatcherous and dangerous conditions in the area, it's remote and specialist mountain rescue teams are now involved, they know the area and the risks, as well as preserving possible crime scene?

I think they asked the public to stop helping when they wanted to use heat seeking equipment?

Shrimp - why do you want to know that?

The police are working with specialists only (mountain rescue, RNLI) in certain areas, eg by the river where conditions are described as treacherous and even the experts are working tethered (SKY has footage).

They say they are using volunteers in some places, but only those with local knowledge.