Information for the police

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Since its foundation in 1999, ITAKA has been cooperating closely with the police (in Poland and with foreign units) Each person whose case we run is also the subject of a police enquiry (as reported missing in Poland or abroad). Contacting the police is a part of our daily work routine.

Complementary activities

Our activities do complement each other. We can help the police in their search both directly - by publishing the photographs of missing people in the local, national and foreign press and obtaining information from people who reported sightings of the missing persons – and indirectly, by offering our support to the missing people’s families and providing them with advice from psychologists, social care workers and lawyers.

Supporting missing people’s families

If you receive a report of a missing person – Polish citizen, a foreigner who might still be in Poland or whose disappearance might be in some way connected with our country – please do inform the family that they can report their missing person to ITAKA – Centre for Missing People Foundation.

We would appreciate it if you could provide the family with our website address (www.zaginieni.pl) and 24h helpline number. Please make sure to mention that ITAKA’s services are completely free of charge.

Consulting cases and exchange of information

We greatly value our direct contact with the police officers of all European countries who are currently looking for a missing Polish citizen or another country’s citizen that went missing in Poland. You can call us or e-mail us at any time to talk about the course of your investigation, analyze the family situation prior to disappearance, etc. By cooperating closely from the moment a person is reported missing we greatly increase our chances of solving the case. In our search we also often contact the police in Poland and abroad.

Missing and Unidentified People Internet Database

If the search for a missing person (Polish citizen or the citizen of another country who went missing in Poland) has been going on for years or months, please make sure to check if this person’s details are registered in our Missing People Internet Database.

Consult also our Unidentified People Internet Database – perhaps your missing person has been reported to us as somebody whose identity could not be confirmed. If you find a photograph of somebody who looks like the person you are looking for, make sure to inform us about it.

How to report an unidentified person to ITAKA?

When an unidentified person is located by the police and a suspicion arises that this person might be a Polish citizen, we kindly request you to report your case to ITAKA.

To report an unidentified person please contact us via e-mail at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Provide the following information in the body of your message:

• Where and how this unidentified person has been located.
• What makes you think this person might be a Polish citizen or may be in any way connected with Poland (clothes, special characteristics, etc.)
• Personal details of the person making the report: e-mail address and at least 2 different telephone numbers including the area code

We will reply and tell you if we can register your case. We will also send you necessary forms to fill in to report an unidentified person.

How can we help unidentified people?

• We include the person’s details in our Unidentified People Internet Database. It is the only publicly available database of this kind. Just like the Missing People Internet Database, the Unidentified People Internet Database can be searched by entering available search criteria. The database is regularly checked by the families of missing people and other persons involved in the search. They look for similarities between unidentified people and missing people and notify us immediately in the case of a positive match. The database is also consulted by ITAKA’s Search and Identification Team each time a new missing person’s case is reported.
• We publish pictures of unidentified people in the media in order to reach those who can positively identify them.
• Unidentified people and their caretakers are offered free phone advice by lawyers and social care workers as well as professional psychological support.

See also:

• 24h helpline
• Missing and Unidentified People Internet Database