LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / October 4, 2000

Having your child fingerprinted won’t protect him against crime, but it could be one of the best things you’ve ever done to help, in case your child becomes a victim.

In times as tense as those having this vital information on hand, immediately available, can do much to assist police efforts in identifying a child. Often,the parents of a missing or stolen child don’t have this information ready and this slows police efforts.

“This is something we hope parents will never have to use,” said Susan Breaux of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office public relations division.The fingerprints are never kept by the sheriff’s office for some sort of “permanent file” on citizens. Instead, the cards are immediately given to theparents for their own safekeeping. “Some people are skeptical at first untilwe tell them that they keep the prints,” added Michelle Oncale of the division.

The pair recently fingerprinted more than a dozen small children at the recent start of St. Charles Parish Public Schools’ Community Educationprogram at Destrehan High School. Several parents with their toddlers werealready on hand, waiting for their arrival.

Philip Bell, 2, the son of Julie Bell of St. Rose, was fascinated with theprocess, his eyes watching his fingers pressed into the ink pad and then rolled onto the chart.

“I am so impressed he was so easy!” his mother said.

Sean Walsh, 2, and his sister, Sarah, 3, children of Stephanie Walsh of Destrehan, were likewise well-mannered as Breaux and Oncale managed the children with practiced care.

Helen Banquer, east bank coordinator for the Community Education program, said the program has always been a huge success in the 20-plus years she’s been involved with Community Education, with parents eager to participate.

Caroline Colomb, at age 6 months, was the youngest fingerprinted at the event. The daughter of Wendy and Robert Colomb of Destrehan, Carolinepermitted the fingerprinting without a single problem.

“She’s been real good, but I’d recommend doing it again when she’s older,” Oncale told Colomb. Infants, she said, often smear the prints or put up afuss during the process. Caroline, on the other hand, handled it like a dream.Allyson Colomb, 2, Caroline’s older sister, was also on hand for her fingerprinting. Her father commented, “I read about it and knew we had to doit.”While fingerprints never change throughout a person’s life, the older a child is the easier it is to take the fingerprints and read them afterward. Forinfants, footprints are usually taken.

Fingerprints aren’t the only information on the chart. There’s also space forbirthmarks, scars, descriptions and other identifying marks. It’s alsorecommended to keep on hand information such as blood type and a small hair sample.

“We do this every semester and have for as long as I can remember,” Breaux said. Child fingerprinting is also available at most church fairs,festivals and other major events. Recently, they went to Cytec Industries’Family Day to provide the service.

They also visit schools and day care centers and they fingerprint student groups visiting the parish correctional center and send the cards home with them.

In addition, each parent who attended the child fingerprinting event was also given information on vehicle child-restraint systems, how to find the right child seat and how to use them properly.

Breaux recently attended a four-day seminar on child seats and emphasized the four main things to remember about their use.

First, the child must have the proper sized seat; second, the seat must fit in the vehicle; third, the straps must be used properly; and fourth, it should be economical enough.

Breaux strongly urged parents not to use “hand-me-down” car seats or use a child seat which has been through an auto accident, and she said all new child seats have expiration dates. Child restraint systems must be used forall children ages 12 and under.

Rear-facing seats must be used for children through age 1. A forward-facingseat with proper harness should be used for children up to 40 pounds. Abooster seat with a lap and shoulder belt should be used for children upwards to 100 pounds.

Failure to properly secure a child in a vehicle can result in a $50 fine for first offense.

For more information, log onto www.nhtsa.dot.gov, the website of theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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