The Lyndhurst Police Department recently distributed through the local schools a do-it-yourself child identification kit to help protect our children and promote child safety awareness. The distribution of the child identification kits is the latest demonstration of the Lyndhurst Police Department’s proactive approach to keeping our community safe. Each child from kindergarten through eighth grade recently received a free kit. The ID kit is designed to assist parents and guardians in easily creating and maintaining a private and comprehensive record of their child’s personal identifiers, medical information, a recent photo, and any unique physical characteristics for use in an emergency. The ID kit is also equipped with a cotton swab for taking a DNA sample from the child as well as a travel ID card to accompany you should you be away from home. When a police officer responds to a report of a missing child, the officer is responsible for obtaining as much information about the child as possible. As a result of this being an arduous and emotional time, parents or guardians may forget some of their child’s important identifiers.
“In Lyndhurst, all children are our children. We want the child ID kits to be a tool that is available to everyone of them,” said Public Safety Commissioner Robert Giangeruso, “and with the free ID kit, any parent or guardian can provide the police with accurate information about their child immediately, saving precious time in the investigation.”
The child ID cards remain in the possession of the child’s parents or guardian and can be updated as the child grows older. According to Chief James O’Connor, “We all hope it never happens, but if a child is missing, time efficiency becomes paramount as the first few hours are crucial to recovery.” For more information on the child ID kits, please contact the Lyndhurst Police Community Policing Unit at (201) 939-9101, or by e-mail at communitypolicing@lyndhurstpolice.com.