hurricanemaxi
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Joined: 10 Aug 2011
Posts: 121
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 FBI Child ID Is a Must-Have App for Parents |
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The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a fabulous new app to help locate missing children, but it has one glaring omission: password protection. Still, there's a lot to like in this new free iOS-based app called "FBI Child ID."
The premise for the app is this: When a child goes missing, precious time is wasted while frantic parents, grandparents or caregivers gather relevant information for the authorities to aid their search. It seems like simple things like hair color and eye color and photos would be in their minds ready to share, but I imagine they could be difficult to say when your child has disappeared. This app not only aims to help keep those details handy, but it compiles additional key details like height, weight, and any other identifying characteristics, like birthmarks.
Plus, there's room to enter additional comments where parents can add less-common information, like medications a child might need.
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Also Does Photos
While the app does not yet let you use a photo from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad's camera roll, you can snap a photo of your child through the app to use. Unfortunately, the app only appears to let you snap one photo, so parents should make it a good one.
At the same time, while the app does let a parent enter in quite a bit of information, only a clear-headed parent will be able to add what a child was last wearing, like a blue coat, white basketball shoes, jeans, etc.
What's Next?
If a parent downloads the free app, which is currently only available for iOS, it's easy to add a child to the app through a self-explanatory form. In the unlikely event that your child does go missing, the app (and the FBI) recommends that you first call 911. In fact, the emergency button at the bottom of the app provides a big red button that says, "Call 911." (I didn't test this, but I assume it works.) There is another button for calling the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
After that, how do you get the information from your iPhone to the authorities? Presumably the only way is to get an email address from a 911 dispatcher, but I'm guessing you would be verbally relaying this information to the dispatcher in the first place. Once you have the email address of the local authorities, you can email the missing child report, using your own default email address and service you use with your iPhone.
It's important to realize that the FBI doesn't not collect or store any of the information you place in the FBI Child ID app. In fact, the FBI wouldn't even get involved in your missing child case until the local authorities alert the FBI or you contact the agency directly. There is a handy "Checklists" feature, too, that walks a parent through what should be done if their child goes missing. No. 2 on the list, right after calling 911, is to ask local investigators to put the missing child in the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person's file. And No. 3? "Request that the FBI be involved in the search for your child."
Great Details
Anyone who has been around children knows how easily they can wander off and get lost, never mind the heartbreaking chance they could be abducted. In my mind, the best thing about the FBI Child ID app is that it would seemingly help a parent be more aware about the potential for disaster, as well as what to do in the event their child disappeared.
On the downside, the biggest problem with the app is that it encourages a full profile of your child ... but doesn't provide for rudimentary security of that information. For instance, even my "to-do list" apps provide app-based password protection through simple PIN numbers.
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