01/23/96 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

CASE# REVIEW REQUEST FOR FUNDING OF PROJECT KIDCARE ID By: Mike Auspos, Police Chief Background: Sometime ago the Police Department inquired into Project KidCare ID, a national campaign sponsored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to increase awareness about missing children. This project has also been put in place to educate parents about the steps they can take to help protect their children. Officer Singewald has been the individual responsible for the inquiry and set-up for this project and has been working closely with the Ramsey Lions Club and Ramsey Elementary PTA to secure donated funding and time. The purpose of Project KidCare ID is to provide parents with a standardized, high quality photo of their children which will also include vital statistics. The photo and information are on a card that should be kept by the parents in a secure place for immediate retrieval should their child or children become a missing person(s). Officer Singewald has contacted Polaroid and learned that over three million children have been a part of this program in the past two and one-half years. Authorities say that a photo is the single most important tool in helping to find a missing child. In fact, one in eight missing children featured in a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children photo distribution program are recovered because of a photo. The program would consist of providing parents a photo of each child and fact folder. It is anticipated that this would be done free of charge to the parents not only for the community spirit, but also to attract larger numbers of parents to participate. The starter kit for establishing a program is available from Polaroid and would consist of 600 cards, 60 packs of type 600 plus color film, a backdrop and a 600BE Polaroid Camera (kit not available without camera). The cost of this kit is $870.00 and Officer Singewald has been successful in obtaining a pledge for donation of $600 from the Ramsey Lions to support the project. The balance of approximately $350 is proposed to be taken from the Special Revenue Police Officers' Fund from forfeiture moneys. This fund had a balance in excess of $2,000 as of December 31, 1995 (does not include 1995 interest allocation). The Police Department, Ramsey Lions, Ramsey Elementary PTA and others will be taking the photos at an event to be scheduled in March. Staff feels this is a very worthwhile program and certainly within the scope of the law enforcement goals in Ramsey. Staff Recommendation: Committee approval of the initiation and funding of Project KidCare ID with the donation of $600 from the Ramsey Lions Club and allocation of $350 from the Police Officers' Fund.