Opsøgende

Opsøgende is a Danish adjective formed from the verb opsøge, meaning to search for or seek out. It describes activities or methods characterized by active pursuit rather than passive waiting. The term is commonly used in both law enforcement and social services contexts to denote proactive, direct outreach or investigation.

In policing, opsøgende refers to proactive approaches designed to locate suspects, witnesses, missing persons, or persons of interest. An opsøgende enhed or team conducts fieldwork such as canvassing, targeted inquiries, and data cross-checks to uncover information that may not surface through reactive investigations. The emphasis is on discovering people or information by actively seeking them out.

In social services and welfare, opsøgende arbejde describes outreach aimed at engaging hard-to-reach populations, such as the homeless, refugees, or individuals with substance use issues. The goal is to meet people where they are, provide services, information, and support, and improve access to health care, housing, or social assistance.

The term can also be applied more broadly to any proactive search or outreach methodology. Etymologically, it comes from opsøge ('to seek out') with the present participle suffix -ende. Related concepts in English include outreach and proactive investigation.