FBI app to help find missing kids
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - It's rodeo time, but before you go you may want to download an app to help keep your kids safe. Have you heard of the FBI Child ID app? We will fill you in, if you haven't.
We know kids can be easily distracted and may wander over to the duck pond at the park or the petting zoo at the rodeo and can easily get lost in a crowd. Even worse, little ones can be lured away by a predator.
“That's like every parents worse nightmare,” says Houston mom Ana Leal.
It's something no one wants to happen, but there are things you can do to better protect your child just in case it does.
“The FBI Child ID app is an app developed by the FBI for smart phones. It's a great way for parents to store their child's information,” explains Christina Garza with the Houston FBI.
Just download the FBI Child ID app and choose "add a child". Parents upload a picture of their kid and add their height, weight, eye color and name. After inputting information, you simply store the info in the app.
“It's easy for a child to go missing, so I think that's a great app,” says mother of three Maria Delgado.
“Just in case they go missing it'll help find them faster,” adds her husband Artemio Delgado.
During a tragedy you may not be able to recall the answers when questions are coming at you in a flurry. “What were they wearing, what's their eye color?” asks Garza.
“If you're not thinking clearly when something like that happens, God forbid, this is something that can definitely be helpful,” explains father of three Jorge Perez.
“You can also add multiple photos,” says Garza. So you can store pictures from the front, side, close ups of scars or moles. The FBI Child ID app also has safety tips, reminding us when we're at the Houston Rodeo, for instance, to never leave kids alone in a public place including restrooms.
The app is free. It doesn’t cost anything. Once the information is stored it simply stays there unless you need it, then you email it directly to police once you file a missing person report.