Attorney General, Sheriffs, and Football Hall of Famers Launch Louisiana Child ID Program
Published 3:51 pm Friday, October 21, 2022
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BATON ROUGE, LA – Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association, and LSU football legend Kevin Faulk today announced a partnership with the National Child ID Program to provide child ID kits to Louisiana students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grades.
“As a father, I do anything to protect my child; and as Attorney General, I do all I legally can to protect all Louisiana children,” said Attorney General Landry. “So I am proud to provide these free, easy-to-use, and effective kits to help Louisiana families reunite after an abduction or a runaway.”
“Every 40 seconds, a child goes missing in the United States; and when a child goes missing, time matters,” continued Attorney General Landry. “The sooner law enforcement has the right information, the sooner they can locate the child; and the better the chances are for a safe recovery.”
The Child ID kits – provided at no cost to Louisiana families due to sponsors including include American Electric Power, Ochsner Health, and Our Lady of the Lake Health – include an inkless fingerprinting kit, a DNA sample collection, physical identification information, a place for a recent photo, and easy to use instructions. They will be delivered by each parish sheriff’s office through school resource officers.
“This is a gift of safety for Louisiana parents. It does not enter a database; rather, it allows parents to store their children’s vital information in the security of their own homes,” explained LSA President and Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb.
“I would have never set LSU records or won Super Bowls without preparation. I urge all fellow parents to use these kits; it only takes two minutes and will save critical hours should your child go missing,” added Mr. Faulk.
This year, the National Child ID Program celebrates its 25th anniversary. The program was created by football coaches in 1997 following the abduction and death of Amber Hagerman, the namesake for the AMBER Alert. Since then, more than 75 million child ID kits have been distributed nationally via public-private partnerships.
“I am grateful for the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Landry and his commitment to public safety. I am honored to join the AG in this initiative to protect Louisiana’s children,” concluded National Child ID Program Executive Director Kenny Hansmire.