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York County law enforcement officials like FBI's new Child ID iPhone appYORK, Pa., Sep 05, 2011 (York Daily Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- When a child goes missing -- either by wandering off or by kidnapping -- seconds count in getting a description of the child to as many police officers as quickly as possible, local law enforcement officials say. For years, across the country, police departments have given parents cards so they could keep descriptions of their children handy. In York, they were called Kid Cards, said York City Police Chief Wes Kahley. If their children were to go missing, they could then give them to law enforcement, he said. Last month, the FBI rolled out the modern version of the Kid Card: the Child ID app, a free application for the iPhone that allows parents to store descriptions of their children, including a photo. They can then email that information to police departments if they need to, according to a news release from the FBI. Northeastern Regional Police Lt. Howard Daniels said information in that format would definitely be helpful. On Friday, officers from his department searched for a 6-year-old boy who had gone missing in East Manchester Township. "The officer went to the house, took the report and organized a search," Northeastern Lt. Howard Daniels said Sunday. "I don't believe they had anything like that," Daniels said when asked if the boy's parents had his information on a card. The boy, who lives in the Starview Countryside Mobile Home Park in East Manchester Township, apparently exchanged bicycles with a neighbor, rode out of the park and ended up in a different neighborhood a quarter- to a half-mile away, police said. A volunteer searcher found the boy and brought him home. "The information would be right there at the parents' fingertips," Daniels said of Child ID. "And in a time of crisis, they wouldn't have to think of everything." Other law enforcement officials from around the county also praised the innovation. "You hope that you never utilize that information, but that one time you need it" is worth it, Kahley said. "It's kind of like insurance -- we all pay insurance premiums, and hope we don't have to use it." But like any other electronic device, an iPhone can lose power. "I know the phone I use likes to crash; if you don't keep a hard copy or a backup, then you lose that information," Kahley said. York Area Regional Police Sgt. Rod Varner said that, when looking for a missing child, photos "are probably some of the best things you can get law enforcement" because officers can envision different images when given someone's physical characteristics. "I think it's a great idea. . . . It'll be faster to get the information to police," Hellam Township Police Department Commissioner Terry Inch said. Inch had two concerns: first, that the information would have to be updated on a regular basis; second, it doesn't appear that the information is protected by a password, which could subject it to hackers. Or, if someone were to steal the iPhone, the thief would then have access to the information, he said. [email protected]; 771-2033 More about Child ID Details from an FBI news release: "Right now, the Child ID app is only available for use on iPhones and can only be downloaded for free from the App Store on iTunes, but we plan to expand this tool to other types of mobile devices in the near future. . . . "And we'll be adding new features -- including the ability to upload other photos stored on your smartphone -- in the coming weeks and months. . . . "An important note: the FBI (and iTunes for that matter) is not collecting or storing any photos or information that you enter in the app. All data resides solely on your mobile device unless you need to send it to authorities." --Read the full story about the 6-year-old East Manchester Township boy who went missing Friday. ___ (c)2011 York Daily Record (York, Pa.) Visit York Daily Record (York, Pa.) at www.ydr.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |