BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
INDEPENDENCE -- For years, police departments have done child-identification programs, designed to make sure parents and police have updated information on kids in case they should come up missing.
But now, Independence police are taking the idea a step further -- to register older people, people with health problems, people who are mentally ill.
A call started it
It all started with a call from one older woman.
"She had seen something about one of the child ID programs we had, and she asked if it would be OK if she came, too," Lt. Shawn Butler said. "We were kind of surprised, but we said sure."
That got department officials thinking. Maybe it would be a good idea to extend the identification plan to other vulnerable people.
"Anyone, basically, with a special need -- we'll do it for them," said Sgt. Ed Bailey.
The first of the new programs will be Sept. 22 at the Wildwood Place apartments' clubhouse. People will leave with a card bearing their picture, fingerprints and other identifying information -- birthday, description and a phone number to call.
Duplicates available
They can make two -- one for the person, another for a guardian, if applicable. And as they do with the similar cards for children, police will encourage the adults to have their information updated regularly, too. In his days as a patrol officer, Sgt. Bailey said he would sometimes see an older person walking along the roadway. He'd stop and soon learn the person didn't know where he or she belonged.
"It's something that doesn't take a lot of time," he said. "But it can really help. We just need some kind of way to do something for some of these people."
