'Operation Safe' Child ID Card Program Coming To Southold

SOUTHOLD, NY — A program aimed at keeping children safe is coming to Southold soon.

New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo has teamed up with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office to present the "Operation Safe" child ID card program at the Southold Fire Department, located at 55135 Main Road in Southold, on Wednesday, August 31, from noon to 2 pm.

Operation Safe Child was created in July, 2005 to raise awareness about child safety, according to information provided by Palumo's office.

Statistics show that 34 percent of parents in the United States do not know their child’s exact height, weight, and eye color, a release said.

"When a child is reported missing, time can be the biggest factor in finding the child. Possessing up-to-date photographs with detailed information about the child can greatly assist law enforcement when responding to a disappearance," the release added.

The cards contain the child’s full name, date of birth, gender, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and more.

“The safe child card can be made in less than 10 minutes and easily fits in a parent’s wallet or pocketbook. It is a quick way to have vital information accessible in a situation when time is of the essence. While it is our hope that parents will never need to use the card, it is best to be prepared,” said Palumbo.

With the parents’ consent, the information gathered is also digitally recorded and stored in a database at the Division of Criminal Justice Services in Albany to be used when issuing a statewide Amber Alert.