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ACT Policing marks the 2023 launch of National Missing Persons Week with a reminder that there are 14 long-term missing people from the ACT.
National Missing Persons Week (NMPW) is held annually, and aims to raise community awareness of the significant issues and impacts associated with missing persons in Australia.
Throughout the course of a year, around 55,000 people are reported missing across Australia and while most are found within hours or days, this week is a reminder for those who are not.
This year’s campaign message, ‘What happened to me?’, calls for the community to help police find answers for the families and friends who don’t know what happened to their loved ones.
Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said this week is about starting the conversation in Canberra, in our community.
“We are doing everything we can to find answers for the families of our missing people. But we can only go off the information we have available to us,” Detective Superintendent Moller said.
“There are people in our community that may have information about our missing people. Even if you don’t think your information is important, it could be vital and may be the missing piece of the puzzle.”
2023 ACT Profile Focus
Robert (Robbie) Jacob is ACT Policing’s 2023 missing person profile focus. He was last seen at the Civic bus interchange in Canberra City on Thursday, 12 November 2015.
Robbie regularly checked in with his children, often a few times a week and if he wasn’t with his children, he was always around others in the community. His daughter reported him missing on 3 December 2015 after uncharacteristically not hearing from her father over the preceding weeks.
He is described as being of slim build, Caucasian in appearance, 179cm (5’8”) in height, with short greying dark brown hair, and brown eyes. His left thumb has limited mobility, he has tattoos on both arms and at the time of his disappearance had medical issues.
Robbie has not been seen or heard from since 2015 and his disappearance is extremely out of character.
Statement on behalf of Robbie’s family:
Robert Hal Jacob was born on 21 August 1959 in Matraville, New South Wales. He is the middle child of three.
Robert or Robbie as he is known to family and friends, has four children, a son and three daughters. He is tremendously loved and missed by his children and grandchildren. Robbie enjoyed taking his children to the park to play with a football when they were young, something his children remember fondly.
Robbie liked to write poems and quotes which he shared with his kids. Robbie could often be found walking around kicking a footy or riding a bike. He was well known and liked in the community and known to be a bit of a larrikin.
Robbie is a loving and generous person. He often brought presents for his grandchildren on his regular visits. It was rare for him to turn up without a little trinket, or a loaf of bread or something similar.
For a man that doesn’t have much, Robbie is extremely generous. He would say: “If it’s your last $10 and someone really needs it, you give it to them”.
Robbie is a vulnerable member of our community and has suffered from addiction problems during his life.
He was reported missing on 3 December 2015. Robbie checked in with his children generally a few times a week and if not with his children, he was always around others in the community. His disappearance is extremely out of character.
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ACT policing would like to thank the following locations for their support in promoting missing persons messages this week:
- GIO Stadium/ Venues Canberra
- Spy In Canberra
- Transport Canberra and City Services
- Libraries ACT
- Westfield Belconnen
- South.Point Tuggeranong
- Gungahlin Marketplace
- Australian Catholic University
More information on missing persons can be found at:
** A long-term missing person is a person missing for a period of 3 months or more **
Media enquiries
Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au
