MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- With the number of missing children increasing in the world today, there is no such thing as being too careful.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center, the number of missing persons reported to law enforcement has increased from 154,341 in 1982 to 876,213 in 2000, an increase of 468 percent. Juvenile's account for 85 to 90 percent of those reported missing.
The important thing is being prepared. If a child does go missing, parents need to have all the important information to help police identify him.
The Station's Provost Marshal's Office recently set up a child identification finger print stand at Marine Corps Community Services Marine Corps Exchange, Oct. 20, to give parents the opportunity to prepare should the unthinkable ever happen to them.
"This will help the families, because if their child ever goes missing we will have all the accurate information readily available," said Sgt. Elizabeth A. Lopez, PMO community resource section chief and Marysville, Pa. native.
Arriving at the exchange, parents were handed a child identification and safety kit. The kit provides an easy way to document important information, such as the child's medical, personal and physical information as well as fingerprints.
"We originally just handed the kits out, but thought it would be better to help parents do the fingerprinting here at the exchange," said Lopez. "If you have never done finger printing before it can be nerve racking trying to figure our whether or not you did it the right way."
When recording a fingerprint, it is important to make sure it is not self-applied, have someone else do it. The finger must be rolled with a minimal amount of pressure, rolling from nail edge to nail edge, showing all the way down to the first crease of the finger.
"If you press too hard the print will be a massive blob," said Lopez.
The information provided in the kits help to not only find missing children, but can help parents during medical emergencies as well.
"If a child is rushed to the hospital they can use the card to help provide information such as allergies," said Lopez. "I know when a child is hurt it can be a stressful time for parents and they won't want to spend their time answering a lot of questions. This will make the process go faster so they can spend more time tending to their child."
Although many parents might think the possibility of their children becoming missing is unlikely in such a small community such as the air station, it doesn't hurt to take precautions for the future.
"Both my children are rambunctious and go all over the place around here," said Donna S. Leet, Beaufort, N.C. native. "It's such a small community, but if they were back in North Carolina the risk would go up."
To ensure the card is never out of date, parents are recommended to update their child's medical information on the card, such as allergies and medications after every birthday. But, the fingerprints can be used to identify the child forever.
"Whatever fingerprints you are born with will be the same fingerprints when you are 80 years old," said Lance Cpl. Jenna L. Kaczke, military police and Minneapolis native.
In the future, Lopez hopes to get more Child Identification & Safety kits so PMO can reach a larger amount of children.
"I really like working with the community and I hope in the future we will be able to provide more of these kits, so we can maybe do this at the school," said Lopez.