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Shelley Osterloh Reporting No one expects their child to disappear, but if it should happen, what do you do?
Nationally, about 800-thousand kids disappear every year. They could get lost, run away or be abducted by a family member or stranger. Whatever the reason, those first few hours that a child is gone are critical. Law enforcement says parents can do things now that will help find that child quickly.
After you've searched on your own and you decide to call police, parents need to be prepared with a current photograph and basic description.
Lt. Jessica Eldredg, Special Agent, Office of the Attorney General: "They are gong to want to know the child's name, date of birth, how much they weigh, what their height is, what they were last seen wearing, where they were last seen. They are going to know if a child has any unique identifiers and they they will want to search the area."
Lt Jessica Eldredge investigates crimes against children for the Attorney General's Office. She says it's good to have all that information already written down, so it's easily accessible and accurate. That kind of information is sometimes hard to come up with when a parent is stressed or worried.
She also advises parents to get a child ID kit. Parents can collect and then keep their child's fingerprints and DNA. The kit also has a laminated wallet card with a photograph, description and fingerprint.
The image of the eye can also be used to identify a missing child. The Weber County Sheriff's Office will debut a new system next month in which parents can have their child's eyes photographed and stored in a national database. Eyes can identify you even better than fingerprints.
Capt. Klint Anderson Weber County Sheriff's Office: "It's the reason why I'm enrolling my children. It's in case they turn up missing. I want every tool at my disposal and at law enforcement's."
And there are many websites that offer safety tips, and other ways to collect and store information about children -- information parents hope not to use but may help find a missing child.
The Utah Sheriff's Association is heading up this ID project and you can pick up a free kit from your local sheriff's office or the Attorney General's Office at the Capitol.
