Locate International Appoints New CEO

Five years ago, Neil Smith and Dave Grimstead presented their innovative work on missing persons’ investigations at the International Conference for Missing Children and Adults. Their vision, originally named Q-Commit (community investigation teams), quickly expanded from a small pilot project into a significant collective voluntary effort.

This year, our volunteers have achieved results on long-term cases that seemed unsolvable. Last year, Amelia Hill's article in The Guardian highlighted our goal: to investigate every long-term missing persons case in the UK.

In 2023 alone, Locate International's volunteers provided 120,000 hours of operational support, valued at over £1.37 million. This incredible contribution, offered at no cost to police forces or families, helped resolve 70 cases, bringing answers to 840 individuals impacted by the trauma of disappearance.

Locate International's success is reminiscent of Loren Eiseley's "Star Thrower" story. In this story, a young boy is on a beach, picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the ocean one by one.

An old man approaches and points out that with tens of thousands of starfish on the beach, the boy won’t be able to make much of a difference. The boy picks up another starfish, throws it into the ocean, and replies, "It made a difference to that one." Inspired, the old man joins the boy in his efforts, calling for more people to help.

As we reach a critical juncture, we recognise the need to grow our teams, enhance our systems, and establish an operational model with Devon and Cornwall Police. This includes developing QUEST, our proprietary system, as a national tool.

Dave has therefore decided to dedicate his full-time efforts to this challenge, and will be stepping down as CEO as of 1st July 2024. Dave says, "I am deeply committed to proving that our approach can bring about systemic change in the investigation of long-term missing persons cases. This needs a relentless focus, and I am excited to see what we can achieve."

In light of this, we are pleased to announce that Mark Greenhalgh will take on the role of CEO. Mark is an accomplished Senior Police Officer with over 24 years of service, from Constable to Chief Superintendent. His expertise in high-risk police operations, Public Protection & Vulnerability, and extensive experience in missing persons cases make him the ideal leader to advance our mission.

Dave has been the heart of Locate International, inspiring all of us with his dedication and vision. His leadership has been a guiding star, much like the boy in the Star Thrower story who makes a difference, one starfish at a time. As he steps into his new role, we are reminded of the  profound impact one person can have. 

Thank you, Dave, for your unwavering commitment and for changing the world, one case at a time.

We look forward to continuing to make significant strides in the investigation and resolution of long-term missing persons cases. One starfish at a time.