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Los datos demográficos de las personas desaparecidas se ingresan en NamUs a discreción de los miembros de la familia o de la agencia de investigación asignada al caso. Reconocemos que la versión actual de NamUs es limitada con respecto al ingreso de datos de personas transgénero en la base de datos de personas desaparecidas. Debido a que NamUs también identifica restos humanos, el sexo biológico puede usarse para determinar la identidad del difunto en la base de datos de personas no identificadas. NamUs participa activamente con los miembros de la comunidad transgénero para brindar información sobre cómo abordar las inquietudes y sensibilidades sobre los miembros de la comunidad transgénero desaparecidos al tiempo que mejora la resolución de nuestros casos. Este aporte vital de la comunidad ayudará a informar avances o modificaciones a la base de datos existente.

En el sistema NamUs, el sexo biológico y el sexo asignado al nacer se refieren a la clasificación de las personas como hombres o mujeres según las características genéticas al nacer. Esta clasificación es esencial para fines forenses y de investigación, ya que ayuda con la búsqueda de casos, la comparación cruzada de casos y el análisis científico, incluidas las comparaciones de ADN y las evaluaciones antropológicas. Reconocemos que algunos casos pueden no encajar estrictamente en estas categorías debido a condiciones médicas y genéticas (es decir, personas que tienen síndrome de Klinefelter XXY, síndrome XYY, hermafroditismo verdadero). NamUs proporciona categorías Inseguro u Otro en la solicitud y las consolida en nuestros informes de rutina bajo "Otro" para los casos en los que el sexo biológico de una persona es desconocido, no se proporciona o de otra manera no se alinea biológicamente con la clasificación biológica estándar masculino/femenino como se ejemplificó anteriormente. NamUs también proporciona una categoría Inseguro porque en algunos casos de restos humanos, solo se pueden haber recuperado restos parciales y el sexo biológico es indiscernible. Tener estas opciones permite una documentación precisa al mismo tiempo que se mantiene la integridad del trabajo de casos forenses.

The NamUs database is the technology that drives missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person case resolutions and is part of the suite of free services offered through the NamUs program. The NamUs database application contains a secure, easy-to-use, centralized online database that serves as a national clearinghouse of information which includes case management, advanced searching, and automatic matching tools. The NamUs database is searchable by everyone; however, sensitive case data are only accessible to appropriate, vetted, professional users.  

Professional users of NamUs are personnel from law enforcement agencies, medical examiner offices, and coroner offices, as well as allied professionals such as forensic subject matter experts. Professional users must register, provide a sponsor who can verify criminal justice employment, and be vetted by NamUs Regional Program Specialists (RPSs) prior to activation in the NamUs system. Once activated, professional users can search/view case information to include dental records, fingerprint cards, and law enforcement sensitive information, and they can add, edit, and track cases per their authorized permissions in the system.

Public users of NamUs are family members of missing persons, volunteers, staff from missing person advocacy groups, and the general public. Public users may enter new missing person cases into NamUs, track cases, and search/view all publicly-visible information in NamUs case files. All public case entries are vetted with the appropriate investigating agency prior to being made publicly viewable in NamUs.

All case entries are vetted with the appropriate local, state, federal, or tribal law enforcement agency prior to publication in NamUs. This vetting includes a review of the case data for accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness for public viewing. Once a case is vetted and NamUs obtains permission from the investigating agency, the case is published in NamUs for public viewing and searching.

Prior to publication, all cases entered into NamUs are reviewed to ensure that a missing person report is on file with a local, state, federal, or tribal law enforcement agency, and that NamUs has the permission of that agency to publish the case information in the NamUs database. This vetting process ensures the protection of persons reported missing to NamUs, while also ensuring that investigations are not compromised by the dissemination of information that is sensitive to law enforcement or the investigation.

Missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases entered into NamUs may be unpublished, published, or archived. Upon permission from the investigating agency, an unresolved case is published in NamUs and will remain published until the missing person has been located, the unidentified decedent has been identified, or next of kin has been located to facilitate a death notification and have the remains claimed for burial or cremation. Upon resolution, a case is permanently archived in NamUs, but no longer accessible for viewing to public or professional users, with the exception of the professional user(s) attached to the case as a Case Contributor.

Internet search engines like Google use proprietary algorithms that typically filter and remove inactive case pages within 8-12 weeks from the time that the case is archived.  If an investigating agency, family member, or previously reported missing person would like to expedite the removal of archived cases from internet search engines, please contact our support team via our toll-free hotline at (833) 872-5176 or by email at [email protected].  

All registered users can perform advanced searches and export publicly viewable case information directly from NamUs. Data is exported in a CSV file and is limited to 10,000 cases. To export greater than 10,000 cases, NamUs suggests exporting in batches based on the state associated with the case. See our advanced user guide for detailed instructions on this functionality.