- Know your child's information by obtaining a free SAFE CHILD ID Card
- Know your child's friends by learning about Internet safety
- Know your neighborhood by using the New York State Sex Offender Registry
"Government's greatest responsibility is to keep people safe. And as parents and guardians we must do everything within our power to ensure the safety of our children," Pataki said. "Operation SAFE CHILD was created to ensure that teachers, parents and law enforcement officials have every tool they need to help protect our most valuable resource -- our children."
In addition to offering free SAFE CHILD ID Cards, each of the SAFE CHILD locations will have information regarding the State's Sex Offender Registry, which individuals may access via the Internet in order to learn about sex offenders living in their communities; as well as information about Internet safety.
Know your Child's Information by Obtaining a SAFE CHILD ID Card
Statistics show that 34 percent of parents in the United States do not know their child's exact height, weight and eye color; and, when a child is reported missing, every moment counts. Possessing up-to-date photographs and detailed information about a child greatly assists local law enforcement officials to quickly return a missing child unharmed.
Using equipment that contains the latest digital fingerprinting technology and high resolution photography capabilities, 31 sites around New York State are able to produce a SAFE CHILD ID card for parents and guardians.
The cards contain a child's name, biographical information (date of birth, gender, height, weight, hair color, eye color, etc.), and a fingerprint image of both index fingers. The card can be made in less than two minutes and can be easily carried in a wallet or pocketbook. Interested parents can choose to store the fingerprints, basic biographical information and photographs of children who are not missing -- information critical to expediting the return of a missing child. The storage of information is entirely voluntary and requires the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. The information gathered is digitally recorded and stored in a database at the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in Albany. In the event DCJS receives a missing child report, the fingerprints of that child will be included in a special search file and compared against all incoming fingerprints submitted to the agency.
In addition to being able to quickly provide important details to police agencies investigating child disappearances, the New York State SAFE CHILD ID Card will serve as an important tool when used in conjunction with the New York State AMBER Alert and Missing Child Alert programs. These identification cards will allow essential missing child information to be electronically disseminated, statewide if necessary, within minutes and dramatically increase the possibility of bringing a missing child home unharmed.
Know your Child's Friends by learning about Internet Safety
Statistics indicate that 1 in 4 children using the Internet have had an unwanted exposure to sexually explicit pictures, approximately 1 in 5 children have received a sexual solicitation or
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approach, 1 in 17 have been threatened or harassed and 1 in 33 have received an aggressive sexual solicitation.
While these statistics are troubling enough, the popularity of social networking sites and blogs have made our children even more vulnerable. Although the development of the Internet has created grand opportunities for communication, some sites also allow users to provide very detailed personal information to strangers.
Since parents and guardians play such a crucial role in promoting online safety, the Division of Criminal Justices' Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse has developed a 45-minute Internet Safety presentation for parents and teachers that focuses on providing straight-forward information about the safety challenges created through the Internet and preventative actions that can be taken to protect children. This presentation is available on the SAFE Child Web site.
Know your Neighborhood by using the New York State Sex Offender Registry
New York State's Megan's Law became effective in 1996 requires a sex offender convicted for a registerable sex offense to register with the State's Sex Offender Registry. New Yorkers interested in obtaining information about sex offenders living in their communities can use the Internet sub-directory search to search by offender name, county and zip code.
