A New Jersey community has opted into the “A Child Is Missing Alert Program”, which was created to help quickly spread the word about missing children. The Cape May County Herald explains exactly how the system works:
ACIM uses a three prong program, a telephone data base, GEO mapping system and satellite imagery System.
When a child or elderly person has been reported missing in Lower Township, police will call ACIM and provide pertinent information about the individual such as description, clothes worn and time and location last seen. ACIM Technicians will pull up the location provided with a computerized satellite mapping system.
Then a customized phone alert message is recorded and phoned to the area where the person was last seen. ACIM can place up to 1000 calls in 60 seconds. Call recipients are to call police with any information they have about the missing person. Answering machines will record calls so that residents will receive the alert when they return home. The program is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Moments after the police department contacts ACIM, the technician punches up an aerial view of the region complete with street names, local landmarks, type of terrain, business listings, types of restaurants, schools, water hazards, parks, bus and train stations. The technician is then able to grasp the distance, scale, and proximity of the last known sighting of the missing person. All of this information can prove invaluable when evaluating a missing child or elderly person’s scenario.
Data forensics expert and iPhone developer Jonathan Zdziarski has created an Amber Alert iPhone application to assist in finding missing children. Utilizing the GPS function built into the iPhone, it helps alert local law enforcement when a missing child has been spotted.
The app lists all current, active AMBER alerts with a small photo of the victim. Clicking one of the alerts brings up detailed information about the abduction, including physical description, last known whereabouts, and details and photos of suspects (if any). A "Report Sighting" button allows you to report a sighting of a victim or suspects along with your current GPS coordinates. This information is analyzed for accuracy and forwarded to the investigating state patrol agency that issued the AMBER alert.
"The iPhone is ideal for not only disseminating [the alert] information, but also for its GPS, which can allow us to aggregate multiple sightings together to assess credibility and to also build better reporting logic to the state police conducting these investigations," according to Zdziarksi.
The application will be free for download as soon as it is approved by Apple.
Are you concerned with your children’s activities on social networking sites such as Facebook? Then Stanford University has the perfect class for you. Dubbed “Facebook for Parents”, the class aims to teach parents exactly how social networking sites work and what you can do to keep your children safe within them.
In the free Stanford class, open to all parents but designed for those with children younger than 18, Fogg and Phillips teach such subjects as "The ABC’s of Facebook," "Ten Steps To Protect Loved Ones," and "Friending, Posting and Updating: Life Skills for the Future."
"It isn’t about spying on kids. And it’s not just about safety and importance of teaching children to guard their reputation," Fogg said. "It helps you build a relationship."
Are you constantly worried about product recalls on your child’s toys and other things your child uses on a daily basis? Parents.com has recently launched a Toy and Product Recall Finder that allows you to enter a product name, brand or model number of any of your child’s items to ensure that it hasn’t been recalled. This is a great resource for parents and child caregivers and a very easy way to make sure your child is always safe.