THE APP EVERY AUSTRALIAN PARENT SHOULD HAVE

Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:23 PM PST

A new FREE smartphone application has been developed to help Australian parents provide information to police in an attempt to locate their children if they go missing.

The Australian Police Child ID App was adapted from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Child ID App in the United States. This collaborative effort has seen the Australian Federal Police (AFP) create a tool that will help parents and guardians more easily collect and send important information about their child/children to authorities in the event of a disappearance or abduction.

The application allows families to store photographs and vital information about their children on their mobile phone. In the devastating event that a child goes missing, this information can be immediately provided to authorities.

While the vast majority of children who go missing are quickly returned safely, usually within 24 hours of going missing, the application can be used to quickly provide crucial information to police, assisting them to expedite their search.

The application also includes safety advice and checklists for parents on keeping children safe, information about what to do in the hours immediately after a child goes missing and provides quick and efficient access to emergency contact phone numbers.

Available at no cost for Android and iPhone users.

Anyone with information relating to a missing child should contact their local police or contact National Missing Persons Coordination Centre on 1800 000 634 or email missing@afp.gov.au.