Child ID kits aid police

They provided fingerprints, DNA samples, teeth impressions, and videotaped interviews, but they weren't suspects in a police booking room.

The procedures were part of a Dedham program to create identification kits to help police in the event a child is missing. On Oct. 22, Avery Elementary School students and some of their siblings filled the school's gym to have their kits prepared.

Among those taking part were Matthew Rogers, 8, an Avery third-grader, and his brother, Jason, 3, closely attended by their mother, Sharon Rogers.

Taking a break from her effort to persuade Jason to allow her to swipe the inside of his cheek with a cotton swab for a DNA sample, Rogers said she did not hesitate to have her children take part.

"If, God forbid, something happened, someone took them, at least I'd have all this stuff on record for the police," she said.

Dedham is working on the program with the Freemasons of Massachusetts. Through its Child Identification Program, the Freemasons service organization offers free materials and volunteers to communities that prepare child identification kits. In Dedham, the program is being coordinated by the Police Department and the Dedham Junior Women's Club. The kits are used to help law enforcement officials identify children who are lost or abducted.

The group's child ID program, or CHIP, began eight years ago in New York as a fingerprinting and videotaping project. Massachusetts adopted it the next year, expanding it to include a dental impression. More recently, the DNA sample was added. The comprehensive approach is now used by Freemasons in other states, according to James W. Spurrell, codirector of the Massachusetts program.

About 200,000 Massachusetts children have participated in CHIP in 36 school systems and at various community events.

"When a child goes missing, a parent goes into panic mode," Spurrell said. "We want them to be able to go and get that identification kit and give it to the police. The police would then have everything they need to help recover that child safely."

For example, he said, police could ask television stations to broadcast the videotape of the missing child, or distribute digitized photos from the video to newspapers. And if a child were lost in the woods, search dogs might be able to pick up a scent from the dental impression.

Spurrell acknowledged that the dental impressions, DNA sample and fingerprints would also help authorities identify a body.

Dedham seems to be embracing the program in a big way.

Last March, the town held a general session for all Dedham residents. Following that event, officials decided to take a more systematic approach by scheduling sessions at each school.

"It became obvious that there was more interest than we could handle in March," said Police Officer Richard Huyler, who is coordinating the program with Patricia Girouard of the Junior Women's Club.

The first session was held Sept. 19 at Riverdale Elementary School, where 80 percent of the school's 205 students took part. The second was held Oct. 22 at Avery School, where about 93 percent of the school's 254 students participated, organizers said.

Similar sessions will be held in the coming months at the town's other schools.

In each case, time is set aside during the school day for participating students to provide the identification information.

The Freemasons provide the equipment and data is collected by police and volunteers, including local Freemasons, Junior Women's Club members, parents, and a local dentist (who takes the tooth impressions).

A Dedham police officer for nearly 30 years, Huyler is passionate about the program.

"This is near and dear to my heart," he said. "I'm getting to the point in my career where I'm starting to think about retirement and this is something I really want to do."

While some parents have raised privacy concerns, Huyler emphasized that once prepared, the identification kit is solely the property of the family.

Girouard called it an "opportunity" for parents. "We hope that nobody ever uses it," she said.

Seven-year-old Avery student Brooke Harney, who was waiting to be videotaped, said the kits are needed "in case you get lost."

Huyler and Girouard are particularly interested in getting teens to take part in the program. Participation rates at elementary schools are typically 90 percent or higher, but fall to 70 percent for middle school students, and 30 percent for high schoolers, according to Spurrell.

"We tend to watch our little ones," Huyler said. "We watch them real close. But when they become 12, 13, 14, or 15 they get more freedom and they're more susceptible to a problem."