Immigrating to the United States focus on Life in the U.S.: According to a report by the U.S. Sing Tao Daily, in order to further ensure the safety of children, the New York Police Department's 5th Precinct recently provided free Safe Child ID cards to children at the precinct. Community Affairs Officer Zhang Zihua of the 5th Precinct stated that nearly 50 children came to the precinct to have their information collected and receive their own Safe Child ID cards. Many Chinese parents expressed their hope that the 5th Precinct would host more such events.
Data shows that 34% of parents in the United States do not know their children's accurate height, weight, and eye color. When a child goes missing, every second is critical; having the child's most recent photo and detailed information is essential for law enforcement to take effective action after a disappearance. Therefore, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services launched the "Safe Child" initiative in 2005, which is held in conjunction with the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department, and other departments.
Officers from the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau, including Du Shuxian and Zhang Zihua, processed the documents for the children in attendance from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. These Safe Child ID cards are printed with the child's basic information, including name, date of birth, gender, height, weight, and hair and eye color, as well as photos of their left and right index finger fingerprints. After parents applied and consented to having their child's photos and relevant information entered into the Department of Justice database, the cards were produced in less than 2 minutes.
Zhang Zihua said that the 5th Precinct will hold similar events from time to time, provided that the equipment for producing the Safe Child ID cards is available at the precinct. He said, "Most of those who came were Chinese parents, and some even hoped that the child ID card processing event could be held every day."
He reminded parents and children to keep the Safe Child ID cards in a safe place, noting that in the event a child goes missing or is abducted, the card can help in promptly releasing the child's information online, significantly increasing the chances of the child returning home safely.