FBI Releases Free Smartphone App for Quick Response to Child Emergencies

A small fry goes missing in the United States every 40 seconds. Umteen are ne'er heard from again. When a child does disappear, it's scathing that parents get basic selective information to law enforcement authorities as soon as possible. That's why the FBI Friday announced a escaped iPhone application that will permit parents to keep this kind of info imminent.

The Child ID app gives parents a convenient put on to electronically store data about their children. If an emergency occurs, the child's photo and vitals such as height, slant, etc. can be shown to security system surgery police officers on the spot, or the selective information can be emailed to law enforcement authorities directly from the app. The app is currently available only for iPhone, only more platforms will personify supernatant soon.

The app also includes tops for keeping children safe. For example, "Tell apart your children to move away from cars that pull up beside them if they do not know the driver, even if the device driver claims to eff you," and "Edward Teach your children not to play in isolated areas or non take shortcuts through hungry parks, W. C. Fields, or alleys."

The app also includes instructions on what to do during the first 24 hours that a tiddler is missing as well every bit the following 24 hours. In the first 24 hours, for instance, the app says the raise should limit get at to their home, don't concern the baby's room until the constabulary have finished collecting tell, ask law enforcement to put out a BOLO (Be Connected Watch) for the youngster, and ask investigators to open a missing persons lodge for the tyke in the FBI's Political unit Crime Information Center.

During the second 24 hours, the app recommends volunteering to take a polygraph mental test, discussing the exercise of a reward with investigators, request the police to install a phone in your home from which they can record phone calls, and discussing, with law enforcement, the creation of a website for gathering information and leads virtually the lost baby.

The app also includes a list of Web resources, such arsenic Child Abduction: Resources for Victims and Families, Amber Alert, FBI Crimes Against Children Website, and the National Centerfield for Missing & Victimized Children (NCMEC).

The NCMEC and 911 are tasty buttons in the app and can embody dialed directly from within it.

To devote the app more visibleness, the FBI is functional to publicize the plan with the American language Football game Coaches Association (AFCA), which wish be producing a public service announcement about the app and will spread the word at various football games during the upcoming season.

For those concerned about having an FBI app along their mobile phones, the government agency notes that the software package does non collect or stock any photos OR information entered into the app. Totally information resides solely on the mobile device until its owner needs to send it to authorities.