A family liaison officer (FLO; often pronounced as a word) in the United Kingdom is a police officer, either uniformed or Criminal Investigation Department (CID), trained to provide liaison between the police and families who have been victims of crime. Every territorial police force has a pool of trained FLOs. The FLO is assigned to the family by the senior investigating officer (SIO). FLOs are usually assigned in any situation where a point of contact between the family and the police is deemed essential, such as a murder investigation or a case of a missing child. British police forces have 1999 also assigned FLOs to assist families who have lost relatives in terrorist attacks or major disasters.