The Veterans Search Team received the GIS Impact Award on Wednesday, April 24, during Esri Connect in the Beatrix Building in Utrecht. Dennis van der Kraats, founder of the Veterans Search Team, received the award from Ed van Ingen, director of Esri Netherlands. The GIS Impact Award commends the use of GIS by the Veterans Search Team in solving missing persons cases in the Netherlands.
The Veterans Search Team consists of more than 2,600 volunteers (consisting of former soldiers, police officers and forest rangers), who help search for missing persons at the request of the police. Last year, the Veterans Search Team supported the police in more than 100 missing persons cases in the Netherlands. An important tool is the map and a tool in ArcGIS, developed by Blue Team Intelligence. Dennis van der Kraats: “In 2023, we were able to bring home 50 percent of the missing people with our efforts, of which 50 percent were still alive compared to 10 percent in the previous year. An impressive increase, which can partly be attributed to the intensification of cooperation with the police, ratified in the spring with a cooperation agreement. A second reason that we have managed to achieve this result is the professionalization drive that we started this year. Better training, deeper into the subject matter, better material and faster deployment.”
VST app
The Veterans Search Team uses the VST app during searches. The app, which runs on ArcGIS, can be used to define a search area. Within this, the various search teams are divided based on the terrain information available. A major advantage of using the app is that it significantly improves communication between the deployment coordinator in the command post and the group commanders in the field. Information from the field, for example when something is found, is immediately pinned on the map by the group commander and made available to the deployment coordinator. They can then respond quickly.
Qualitative analyses
In addition to the app, the VST also uses ArcGIS Pro to perform qualitative analyses. For example, to accurately map the terrain of the search area and determine how the search can best be organized. Van der Kraats: “But also to record where cameras are located in the area and where there are possible obstacles. This also includes all information about the missing person. What do we know about the person? When was it last seen and how did it move, for example walking, on a bicycle or with a walker? Every detail may be important to us to determine the location or direction of movement of the missing person. We will then define the hotspots within the defined search area where we have the greatest chance of finding the person.”
Ed van Ingen, director of Esri Netherlands: “The work of the Veterans Search Team is literally of vital importance. Every year they ensure that dozens of missing people are brought home. We are happy and proud that our technology can contribute to this. The way in which the Veteran Search Team, in collaboration with Blue Team Intelligence, uses and continues to develop ArcGIS to accelerate the search is a striking example of making an impact with GIS. That makes the Veteran Search Team the deserved winner of the GIS Impact Award 2024.”
Dennis van der Kraats: “The GIS Impact Award is a great deal of recognition and appreciation for our efforts. The fact that we receive this award from experts in the field of GIS confirms that we are doing well and motivates us to do even better. ArcGIS is an important tool in our mission.”
Read an extensive article about the Veterans Search Team’s work with GIS here.
