WASHINGTON — National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has launched a new app designed to help parents act quickly if their child go missing.
The Safety Central app is a new tool for parents in the fight to keep their kids safe if the unthinkable happens.
“You know, the first three hours a child is missing are the most critical, so we want to make sure no time is lost,” said Ju’Riese Colon, executive director of outreach with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The app is available for both Apple and Android.
“Once you download the app, you upload your child’s photos and fingerprints,” she said.
Also, parents can upload a description of their child.
John Walsh, a co-founder of NCMEC, said none of the information stored on the app can be shared or accessed by anyone except the user. Users are able to forward information to law enforcement in the event a child goes missing.
“I think it is going to enable parents to have great conversations with children when they’re out and about,” Colon said. “It will also prepare them should anything happen.”
The app has the ability to put important information right in a parent’s pocket because most people have smartphones, Colon said.
“It’s really important to have images of your children on hand, should anything happen, immediately,” she said.
As an example, she said to imagine that a parents is at an amusement park and the child vanishes. With the touch of a button on your smartphone, the app enables a parent to send pertinent information to law enforcement, which can speed up the search process and increase the chances of getting the child back safely.
She said the app allows users to search for missing children, and can send notifications about updates, safety tips and tip sheet for parents.
“We want to make sure not only that the child ID component is there, but the latest information and trends are at your fingertips,” Colon said.
Colon said that it is critical that law enforcement be contacted immediately if a child goes missing so that they can quickly launch a search. She said they will need information like what you child looks like and who they may be with.
After contacting law enforcement then Colon recommended reaching out to NCMEC.
“Whether it’s offering support on social media to help search for the child, producing posters, which can help let people know a child’s missing, we really have quite a bevy of resources that are available,” Colon said.
