Veterans are 14 times more likely to end their life whilst missing than their civilian counterparts.

In our first Beacon Insights Report, one concerning statistic stood out: Veterans are 14 times more likely to complete suicide whilst missing compared to their civilian counterparts.

This figure should give all of us pause. While there has long been important discussion about the overall rate of suicide within the armed forces community in relation to the wider population, this finding isolates a moment of acute crisis. It tells us that when a veteran or service person goes missing, the immediate risk to life increases exponentially.

This cannot be ignored.

When someone goes missing, police are required to assess risk quickly: low, medium, or high. These decisions directly affect the resources deployed, the speed of the search, and whether alerts are shared publicly. Yet too often, veterans are not recognised as a distinct risk category despite overwhelming evidence that their vulnerability is different.

The Beacon Insights data highlights what many families, friends, and colleagues already know from painful experience. Veterans and service personnel can face unique challenges: trauma, transition to civilian life,  perceived stigma in seeking help, and exposure to high-stress environments. When they go missing, the risk that this situation may end in tragedy is far greater.

So what needs to change?

It’s difficult to nowhere to start, but we do need to start. Lives are at steak.

1. Advocate for the Forcer Protocol

The Forcer Protocol is a practical, proactive tool designed to bridge the gap between families, veterans, and the police. It allows veterans to securely pre-register important information, such as health needs, mental health vulnerabilities, or places they are likely to go if distressed, with Safe and Found Online. A service designed to find vulnerable, at-risk people, quickly.

When police are called to search for that individual, this information can be accessed immediately, guiding their response and saving vital time.

This is not just about efficiency. It is about recognition: acknowledging that veterans face specific risks and ensuring they are treated with the urgency their situation demands. Every force in the UK should adopt the Forcer Protocol as standard practice.

2. Automatically Categorise Veterans as High Risk

When a veteran or serving member of the armed forces goes missing, there should be no debate about risk level. They should be immediately categorised as high risk, triggering all of the associated escalations:

• Search parties deployed quickly and strategically
• Immediate use of specialist resources such as drones, dogs, and helicopters
• Media appeals launched without delay to mobilise community support
• Coordination with veteran services and networks who may have insight into likely locations

This is not about preferential treatment. It is about evidence-led policing. If the data shows a 14-fold increase in risk, the response should match the reality.

3. Make Informing Beacon Alert Part of the Procedure

Beacon Alert exists for a reason: to spread accurate, timely, and structured information to the public when a veteran goes missing. Our alerts reach millions of people across the UK, often within hours, and provide clear instructions on what to do if someone is seen.

Making Beacon Alert a formal part of the escalation procedure ensures that information flows quickly from police to community. It removes delay, prevents confusion, and maximises the chance of a safe recovery.

We do not replace police appeals – we amplify them, ensuring that families know support is mobilised and that veterans in crisis are visible to the nation.

4. Upskill Frontline Professionals

Too often, opportunities for prevention are missed because frontline staff simply do not have the tools to identify or intervene effectively.

We are calling for urgent investment in training for police officers, paramedics, and all frontline staff, focusing on three critical skills:

1.  Identifying veterans. Knowing how to ask, and how to listen, so that veterans are recognised quickly when they come into contact with services.
2. Recognising suicidality. Understanding the signs (verbal, behavioural, situational) that may indicate someone is in immediate danger.
3. Taking safeguarding action. Empowering staff to act decisively when risk is identified, whether that means escalating a missing person case, involving mental health crisis teams, or making safeguarding referrals.

The cost of inaction is measured in lives.

At Beacon Alert, we know these changes are ambitious. But they are also achievable. Over the coming months we will be addressing these factors directly, continuing to advocate for the adoption of the Forcer Protocol, engaging with police and policymakers to push for consistent high-risk categorisation, and working with partners to improve frontline training.

Every alert we share is a reminder of the stakes. Behind each one is a family waiting by the phone, a community scouring streets and fields, and a veteran whose life is  on the line.

The statistic is clear. Veterans are 14 times more likely to die by suicide when missing. The question now is whether we are willing to change the way we respond?

What You Can Do

Real change depends on all of us. Here’s how you can help:

• Follow Beacon Alert on our social channels to stay informed and ready to act when an alert goes out.
• Advocate for the Forcer Protocol and explain its importance to friends, colleagues, and veteran networks.
• Push for change by contacting your local MP and police force, urging them to treat missing veterans as high risk and to integrate Beacon Alert into their response.

BEACON INSIGHTS REPORT DOWNLOAD

Share the Beacon Insights Report with decision makers, community leaders, and organisations who can help turn data into action.