In an innovative move, a former law enforcement official has developed a mobile application dedicated to assisting relatives and acquaintances of missing persons in their search for their missing family members or friends.

The brainchild behind the application, named Misper, is Paul Cooper, hailing from Stockton. His motivation stems from both his extensive experience in the police force and his encounters with the anguish experienced by families of missing individuals.

Utilizing data that is readily available to the public, the app analyses various factors, including age, gender, and mental health conditions, to predict the potential whereabouts of missing individuals.

At the age of 39, Cooper has firsthand experience with the difficulties that accompany the search for missing persons and has expressed his desire to offer a tool that could significantly impact these efforts positively.

Having experienced the loss of several friends to suicide and knowing people who have had family members disappear, Cooper’s drive to create Misper is deeply personal. On one occasion, he even escorted the brother of a friend, who was contemplating suicide, to a facility for a mental health evaluation. The individual was initially released, but he was later taken into custody again for a further assessment, only to eventually commit suicide.

Reflecting on these experiences, Cooper shared, “I often ponder on the different actions I could have taken or if there had been any alternatives that might have averted his demise.”

Driven by a blend of guilt and sorrow from his encounters with those who have taken their own lives, Cooper found the impetus to develop the Misper app. He acknowledges that while the app cannot reverse the tragic loss of life due to suicide, it has the potential to save individuals who are currently in a crisis.

Employing a sophisticated system that includes a traffic light indicator, Misper synthesizes research and data to signal the probability of finding a missing person based on specific mental health conditions they may have. Cooper noted, “There are discernible trends. It’s observed that women at risk of suicide tend to be located closer to their homes in comparison to men.”

This system is meticulously designed to enhance the efficiency of search operations, particularly in situations where foul play is not suspected.

Having invested years into the development of Misper, Cooper is hopeful that this app will empower the public to more effectively organize their search efforts for missing loved ones.