Use of NamUs

Background:

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is the only national database for missing and unidentified persons that provides (limited) access to the public, which enables family members of missing relatives to aid in search and recovery efforts. Families and advocates can create an account and enter data about their missing person into the database, which is then verified by NamUS Regional Program Specialists before being published in NamUs. The National Crime Information Center is the second national database for missing persons, and typically includes greater numbers, however it is only accessible to select government agencies. NamUs is the only federal program which offers free forensic, investigative, and analytical services to resolve cases of missing persons and unidentified human remains.

NamUs has the potential to bring together law enforcement and medical examiner/coroner communities. However, there are no federal laws requiring missing person data to be entered into either National Crime Information Center (NCIC) or NamUs for all missing adults. As of 1990, data related to every missing child must be immediately entered into NCIC, but there is no similar federal law for all missing individuals in NCIC or missing children and/or adults in NamUS. 

In December 2018, NamUs introduced new data fields specific to tribal information. Details such as individual tribal residence and enrollment/affiliation are accessible exclusively to NamUs and the relevant investigative agency. However, this data can also be shared with tribal law enforcement and tribal leadership for enhanced data collection and information exchange as needed. The system comes equipped with nearly 300 tribal law enforcement agencies pre-loaded, streamlining officer registration and has the potential to facilitate better case linkage across jurisdictions.