The FBI is putting safety in your hands and on your cell phone. Now, there’s a free new tool that can help you find your child if he or she suddenly disappears. According to a news release, the new app is called Child ID and it is the first mobile application created by the bureau. The application allows parents and guardians to store valuable information about their child if they go missing and has the ability to e-mail the contents to law enforcement in a matter of clicks.
For now, the app can only be downloaded to iPhones from iTunes. In the coming months the program will be available to all cell phones. For more information, please visit the FBI website.
NOTE FROM THE FBI: The FBI (and iTunes for that matter) is not collecting or storing any photos or information that you enter in the app. All data resides solely on your mobile device unless you need to send it to authorities. Please read your mobile provider’s terms of service for information about the security of applications stored on your device.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) 36% of attempted abductions occur when a child is going to or from school or a school-related activity.
There are still many communities across America where children are leaving their houses by themselves and walking home because the neighborhoods are deemed “safe.” NCMEC says children may not “look before they leap,” which is why they put out a safety tip publication. The publication is a source of safety tips for parents.
These tips came directly from NCMEC’s website:
1. Instruct your children to always TAKE A FRIEND, always stay in well-lit areas, never take shortcuts, and never go into isolated areas. Teach them to stay aware of their surroundings and observe all traffic rules in place to more safely share the roads and sidewalks with others.
2. WALK THE ROUTE to and from school with your children pointing out landmarks and safe places to go if they’re being followed or need help. Make the walk to and from school a “teachable moment” and chance to put their skills to the test. Make a map with your children showing acceptable routes to and from school. If your children wait for a bus, wait with them or make arrangements for supervision at the bus stop.
In an effort to keep children off of popular social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, Togetherville is stepping up to the plate to provide a safe area for kids to network. The new site allows children to play games and network in a “neighborhood” environment and teaches them how to use the technology to communicate safely online. Parents will build and monitor their child’s network, and other family members onFacebook are encouraged to interact with their younger family members online.
Togetherville is currently free, and they have a controlled environment where kids will interact with people they know in real life. What’s interesting is you can only sign your child up for Togetherville if you have a Facebook account. This partnership serves as a safeguard for the child site.
According to Togetherville’s site, applications are kid-size and ad free, “In Togetherville, kids can design logos, cards and collages to display on their profile or share with friends and family.” Kids can also watch videos. Togetherville’s site says, “All video content is pre-screened to be safe and age-appropriate.” Another fun feature is the drop down text messages called “quips.” This feature allows children to express thoughts and feelings and allows other kids to comment on the quips.
In an effort to keep children off of popular social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, Togetherville is stepping up to the plate to provide a safe area for kids to network. The new site allows children to play games and network in a “neighborhood” environment and teaches them how to use the technology to communicate safely online. Parents will build and monitor their child’s network, and other family members onFacebook are encouraged to interact with their younger family members online.
Togetherville is currently free, and they have a controlled environment where kids will interact with people they know in real life. What’s interesting is you can only sign your child up for Togetherville if you have a Facebook account. This partnership serves as a safeguard for the child site.
According to Togetherville’s site, applications are kid-size and ad free, “In Togetherville, kids can design logos, cards and collages to display on their profile or share with friends and family.” Kids can also watch videos. Togetherville’s site says, “All video content is pre-screened to be safe and age-appropriate.” Another fun feature is the drop down text messages called “quips.” This feature allows children to express thoughts and feelings and allows other kids to comment on the quips.
Margo Lynn Jordan is a mother and a grandmother. She was reported missing by her parents on April 24th and hasn’t been seen since. I spoke with Lt. Carl Minden from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. He says Margo was living with her boyfriend and his sister when she disappeared. She showed up for a work program at their jail on April 20th and was last seen by her family four days later. There is now a $10,000 reward put up by her family for information on her case. Lt. Minden says, “We’ve been looking at this for a month now, and the leads are starting to dry up. There’s not a whole lot left to go on right now and we are hoping to get more tips out of it.”
Shawn Isaacs, Margo’s boyfriend, is considered a possible person of interest in this case, but investigators say they are working and exploring other angles as well. “If you decided tomorrow that you don’t want to talk to anybody, there’s nothing I can do about it,” says Minden, but he feels there’s enough suspiciousness surrounding the case suggest something else may have happened to Margo.
A few days ago human remains were found off a beaten path in Idaho. The location where the body was recovered is a little less than four hours away from where missing mom Susan Powell was last seen. It’s been more than four months since Susan went missing from her home in Utah. Although the case has faded fast from the spotlight, it is still personally close to my heart and mind. I keep in touch with Capt. McLaughlin from the West Valley City Police Department, and he told me they are looking into the possibility that the remains could be Susan, but investigators in Idaho believe they could be the remains of a woman who went missing three years ago. Capt. McLaughlin says, “They aren’t 100% sure, until they get positive ID through dental records.” It could take a few weeks to make a positive ID.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
These tips came directly from NCMEC’s website:
