Introduction. The results of the activities of law enforcement agencies in the Russian Federation in the search for missing persons do not fully meet the interests of personal and public safety. Possible reasons for this are that there is no uniform approach to the definition of "missing person" in Russian investigative legislation and the theory of operational investigative activities. Materials and methods. In the course of the research, historical, legal and comparative legal methods of cognition were used, which made it possible to study the specifics of the regulatory regulation of the concept of "missing person". To confirm a number of theoretical provisions of the study, the statistical method was used, as well as the method of expert assessments based on a content analysis of doctrinal positions regarding the subject of the study. In order to develop the definition of "missing person", a set of general scientific methods was used, such as analysis and synthesis, generalization and analogy, and a logical approach. The results of the study. The regulatory legal acts regulating the specifics of the legal regulation of the search for missing persons are analyzed. An analysis of theoretical works is made, which reflect various approaches to the concept of "missing person". Attention is focused on the lack of a uniform approach to understanding the essence of the definition under study in the Russian Federation, both in law and doctrine, which leads to negative phenomena in the field of investigative activities. Conclusions and conclusions. The concepts of "missing person", which are legally fixed, as well as developed in the theory of operational investigative activities, have some drawbacks. In this regard, the author's definition of the specified definition is proposed, eliminating the identified gaps. At the same time, specific ways of legally consolidating the formulated concept in operational investigative legislation are proposed. The last step can optimize the activities of law enforcement agencies in the search for missing person
missing person, investigative activities, federal search, operational investigative activities, operational investigative measures, reasons for the disappearance of citizens, a minor who voluntarily left his family or a specialized institution, a person who lost contact with close relatives.
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